FROM ED Thank you Editor it was getting a little hairy with the extra loading. Some did some didn't. I have a new keyboard thank heaven so tired of repairing typos. Enjoy your holiday, you deserve it. Ed
Thank you ED I hope you enjoyed Xmas services and that your participation in Church brought you joy.
Today we are not supposed to wish those who are observant good tidings, beyond gift giving, to which I say... Bah Humbug!!! A very merry Christmas to you and your family. Thank you for contributing to our blog... HAPPY NEW YEAR!
FROM ED To recap what I have posted so far that Ifel is important to be said. Don't overthink your posts. If you're writing about the party don't confuse yourself with thoughts about other areas. Think positive, we can make this work. If you need help read what L.STEVE has said. He put it perfectly. Don't let others fill your head with things like the PLQ going separatist. Coiullard doesn't speak for the party. Forget about the Catholic Church and S.R.and keep on the subject. Stay onjective, we are out to win back our RIGHTS. Ed
Actually, Ed, I'm glad you're on because I want to respond to your address to me on December 26, 2012 6:17:00 PM EST: Yes, the same people in the PLQ from 20 and 30 years ago are not the same people as they are today. They're worse today! As the Editor has observed previously, there are fewer MNAs from the PLQ who speak English today, and their stance is more nationalistic. The English speaking MNAs now don't appear to even attempt to resist anti-English legislation.
As much as I was against any and all Quebec political parties in the past, save Equality (albeit their being one-trick ponies in reality). I don't trust one MNA as far as I can throw them! I also want to clearly and unequivocally emphasize once again, if I didn't do so already, that I NEITHER HAVE, DON'T NOW nor EVER WILL "talk up" the CAQ! I make no mistake about it, Ed. The CAQ are separatists, and this group is stalking and skulking around just waiting for an opportunity for their so-called "winning" conditions. They'll strike like cobras at the first opportunity. No Ed, I'm NOT "talking up" anybody! Far from it!
FROM ED Cutie, Stop fretting about bill 14. They're only starting hearings on it in march. Let's get the party going so that by the time it comes up we'll have a voice and make it heard. Ed
FROM ED Mr.Sauga, I'm sorry I have spoken out of turn, my bad. I meant to criticize your stance on the Liberals. I agree that the Libs are no angels but dammit we're desperately trying to find a formula that works. There is no Question that they have the best chance. people who voted CAQ see now the damage that they did and will not repeat the mistake. The Libs were popular with the Federalist Francs and I'm sure they will come back. Who cares what's in the heart of the party, if we got them by the short hairs they will comply. As the hippie boy said to the hippie girl, "Hey honey did you ever get picked up by the fuzz?" She said, "Gee no, I bet it hurts like hell." I'm asking people to keep it light. Don't get tangled up with who did what. Right now we should concentrate on getting a voice. The best way is the one you suggested months ago by writing to the news agencies. Jack Cafferty and George Christopoulous both said get me the material and I'll run with it. I like L.Steve's idea to approach French who want to enrol in English schools and get them on our side. What we need right now is a Thomas Jefferson who can word documents so delicately that no one could be offended, and do it in French. Ed
Ed, I hate to play the devil's advocate with you, so if you want to go to Shagri La and seek out this fictitious individual, you have my blessing and very best wishes--you'll need them!
I now turn my attention to addressing Tony Kondaks'comments of Wednesday, December 26th @ 9:15 PM:
I'll accept your word about the three MNAs who not only resigned their cabinet posts over Bill 178, but left the National Assembly over it. You didn't mention how John Ciaccia simply stabbed his predominantly minority constituents in Mount Royal that also included parts of Snowdon right in the back à la Benedict Arnold and Dathan, a Hebrew who turned on his own enslaved brethren to win favour with Pharaoh Ramses of Egypt.
You can't hold a few MNAs responsible to bring down Bill 101 when the Quebec majority was mostly in favour of it. Name anybody else that sacrificed their political career over anything like this besides French, Marx and Lincoln.
It would take civil demonstrations and other forms of political activism to draw the attention of those who are the oppressors, coupled with the media, especially outside Quebec. The Americans are the best ones to bring in after the fury that ensued after the 60 Minutes article back in 1998.
I actually found the Toronto Star article going back to Feb 10, 1998 and scanned it to the Editor of this blog, but for some reason he hasn't published it yet. There was a frenzy on a local radio show the day after the airing that I have written about many, many times previously on this blog.
Can you at least offer a solution or some alternatives to encourage us to fight for our rights? Would you participate? Pointing out lost recollections and inaccuracies is not the solution!
"Can you at least offer a solution or some alternatives to encourage us to fight for our rights?"
I've been doing for the past 20 or so years, Mr. Sauga, even when I've lived outside the country. That's what my book is about: a very specific solution.
I've written a myriad of articles in that time, published in numerous places on the subject.
Yes, I would participate...and currently do.
As for pointing out inaccuracies, please don't take offense; I just thought I'd correct the record, that's all.
I'd like to chime in on another reason this is a bad idea.
And it's not because I don't support your ultimate goal-- don't get me wrong.
The problem with Anglo politics is that it operates on an identity politics basis AND...
There is effectively no Anglo-QUEBECKER culture in Quebec.
When I say Anglo-QUEBECKER, I don't just mean English culture that is produced in Quebec.
There's lots of that.
I mean a culture that has a strong sense of being Québécois (for lack of a better term).
Yes I know that there`s the odd act, the odd comedian, the odd thing that really speaks to being an Anglo-Quebecker.
But in general, Anglos don't reflect a strong sense of connection to their province in their own language.
Forgive me as I re-hash some old phrases from 1970s Canadian cultural angst but: what does it mean to be an Anglo-Quebecker?
It has to be more than just being a proud Canadian. I realize that the vast majority of Anglo-Quebeckers are proud Canadians but... Canadianness is rooted in geography and experience. An Albertan is not a Torontonian is not a Newfoundlander.
I suspect there are some cultural studies gurus who've done all this academic work, but I suspect that's all that it is...academic.
So what the heck does this have to do with politics?
In Quebec, politics does not move without culture.
Anglos are no different than other Quebeckers.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.
Working on elections before you work on these very basic existential questions is short-sighted.
I'm not saying that the political stuff should not be attempted (although I don't think EQ would be the best avenue for it.) I'm saying that nothing will get done without good culture-- both in terms of cultural production and cultural values.
FROM ED Suzanne, I'm not sure what your point is but you have made me think we should find some francos to run for us in our party. They could not call it just an anglo party that way. By the way what's with the double spacing taking up space unnecessarily? Ed
Ed - I'm sure it was always the plan to have as many federalist francophones as possible in our party. We need them and they need us. What we do have to be concerned about are infiltrators because the dippies are good at that. We had an organization after the 1995 referendum and it was infiltrated by dippies and they can do a lot of damage with their conquer and divide mentality. Just a warning to all that they probably give courses on this through IF so some of us should sign up with them to get an idea of their tactics. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
FROM ED Cutie, Actually, I wasn't referring to the party. I meant find some Francos to help us get the word out about the PQ. Writing to French media for example. Ed
Ed - we can't forget Bill 14 as that is what Hugo is pushing a demonstration against on the 17 Feb - People have to get out in force if at all possible to show the public and the government we've had enough of these racist bigots. Yes, we have to get our act together before the next provincial election but the demonstration on the 17 Feb is very important. I hope all of you in the area of Sherbrooke St. can make it there and I would love to see a huge turnout! Suzanne - you may be right about the culture but shouldn't the "freedom" aspect be part of any culture? As you pointed out previously, we are fighting for freedom and not anglo rights.
I think we should start calling the seppies the "dippies" for more reasons than one - dip (not a typo as yet but could be) e.g. dik heads and dipping into our money all the time for their own benefit. They love calling us "angryphones" so we should reciprocate - thank you.
If you want to attack bill 14, you'll have to attack something specific in it. Again, you need to get people onside. No one likes a whiner with no specific justification and who is all over the place. If you're too broad, you'll be ignored and portrayed as an extremist or whiner.
To be honest, I have not read the bill, so i don't know all the details, but if i were to attack it, I'd attack the internet site they want to create to complain against english.
Focus there to show the intolerance and racism of that aspect of the bill. Get people onside with signs that say something to the effect of:
Govt sponsored site to get Quebec "sentinels" to denounce: - Pedophiles - No - Drug Dealers - No - Rapists - No - Murdereres - No - Violent acts - No - Tax Evaders - No - Govt corruption - No - ENGLISH - YES Do you really believe this is not racist ?
Whoever does interviews (should be one person - you don't want some clown representing you) should explain that this is a slippery slope to denouncing englihs people, enlighs accents - it's a clear step towards the open promotion of racism against english.
Explain that englihs people believe Quebec is not a racist society and they believe that if francos were aware of this clearly racist provision, they would not embark on this.
Stay on message, sound nice and conciliatory.
If asked for more "revendications", explain nicely and non-confrontationally how the group that knows the least english is the 0-19 group of francos (20% !) and this is an unfair disadvantage to them in life. Their parents should have the right to choose the language of their children's education - be it french, english, or bilingual schools. It is the french whose culture these laws claim to protect, so leave them the right to choose. You say that you don't believe they would abandon french at all, but they would have the opportunity to learn a new skill and allow them to better communicate with the world and spread QC ideas (QC feels they have a lot to show the world).
Alway add something about new arrivals should still be forced to go to french school (francos have this stamped on their heart, so don't atack it - go bit by bit), but francos who have been in QC for generations should have the right to choose among the schooling opportunities of their children. It is unfair to rob francos of the choice. It is unfair to limit them, in the same way the catholic church limited them prior to the 1960's (a brief reference to a point of historical frustration will help). Francos should have the freedom of choice (their famous liberty).
If asked about enligs leanring french, explain how englihs already have a far higher level of bilingualism than quebecers (38% to 69%, and the only groups that bring that total down are those over age 49, otherwise it would be in the 73-75% range).
Focus on one aspect that all people can agree with - that damn internet site. When asked, say the above - all ideas that are perculating in the franco community, but have no clear voice yet.
You chip away. If you focus on everything, it will not work. The francos believe the law is a "compromise" and "fair". They don't see antyhing wrong with it. You need to point out the glaring faults and focus on them as an example of what is wrong - make the message clear and undeniable.
Otherwise, if you're too broad - it will fail. People will point to the "good" parts and portray your views as whining.
L. Steve: Thank you for the above; all very true and very helpful - I'm sure Hugo is reading all of it and taking it to heart. I hope the crowd on 17 Feb is huge. Placards should read things like: No more suppression of quebecers rights and freedoms - no more IF - no more SJBS - no more Bills in the NA inciting hatred and bigotry - francophones, allophones and anglophones want to live in peace and harmony - employment and less taxes - no more money on language police; hospitals can use this money - freedom is choice of quebecers - Bilingualism in Quebec helps the world understand our culture - No more restricted access to education for francophones - Bill 101 dictates freedom of choice - Don't know if they have a website specifically for Bill 14; perhaps someone else knows? Do know that IF and SJBS have sites that can be attacked. Hope Hugo responds to the above.
Freedom of choice languagewise? The Supreme Clowns of Canada ruled that sending Francophones and immigrants to Francophone schools is legit. To send anyone and everyone who doesn't have English roots in Quebec or comes from the RoC without English education has no rights to English education in Quebec. The nine clowns have ruled. The clowns also ruled Frenchless signs are illegal.
Freedom of choice in Quebec? It doesn't exist. Hasn't since July 31, 1974. It's gone! Through! Finished! Kaput! Fuggedaboudit!
I just want to go back on a comment I made on two occasions that were never answered.
In the event that a new equal-rights political party does rise up in 2013, WHAT will be it's orientation?
Right or Left?
Outside of fighting for rights, will this party be game to slash taxes? Or jack them up some more to finance the welfare state?
This is actually very important as it also pertains to the Parti Quebecois, which used to be an assembly of left and right wingers with one goal - sovereignty and that really didn't turn out well, did it?
In the past I've gone on to say that the members of all separatist parties should be held on trial for deliberately trying to sabotage Quebec's socio-economic progression with its Draconian laws.
So then, instead of naming the new entity the Equality Party, why not something like the Prosperity Party, as such a name implies a goal that is only attainable via equal rights.
What else do we decentralize? Quebec already has control over immigration that they use to bring in people who speak french only and don't give a damn about their other qualifications - f------ wonderful - they have control of our blood services (unnecessary expenses that the Feds used to pay for) now they are looking for control of communication and I'm so totally against that that I can't even discuss the possibilities of where we're headed on that one - no english TV, no newspapers in english only, etc. I can't see many things that I would decentralize to quebec because this will work against the anglophone community in the end. The only thing I can see is fighting for freedom to work in whatever language we please and a choice in education for everyone not what the government dictates. We have to appeal to the francophone community to understand that their own government dictates their lives and it's strictly a ploy to separate and not to preserve their language and culture. Bunch of power, money hungry miscreants that have mismanaged the economy so bad that we will never recover without assistance and understanding from the rest of North America. We have to make them see that these tactics are dramatically hurting the economy of quebec.
I agree with Resident in that we need a new party name and for sure part of the platform will have to be a reduction in taxes when we start getting this province under control from massive expenses we don't need such as duplicating services that Ottawa provides and crazy language czars, other country ambassadors and talk about using that extra money on health services, for instance. Making access to creating business much easier and ensuring that businesses find it easier, not more difficult, to locate here. More businesses, more jobs, more home sales, more tax base to give us some relief from the massive debt load we carry. These points must be stressed by any party we give our support to.
R.E. I want to thank you for that Conan O'Brien link you posted, where they poke fun at Quebec, I never laughed so much in my life and I hope you don't mind but I had to share it with a few people I know.
A sobering reality has hit me however. I will never ever again admit to any American that I am from Quebec!
FROM ED Anectote, How could you be in favour of the Conan thing. it was disgusting. laughing in the face of those innocent old people who had no idea what was going on. It was venomous and hate filled. No wonder the seps hate us if we see francophones as objects to make fun of. It filled me with anger. Ed
On the surface it was completely hilarious. I do however feel ashamed by the fact that we have allowed the opportunity for some people to actually be able to make fun of Quebec this way. We were shown what our society has become, to what shallow levels we've succombed to, so with all due respect, we kind of deserved to be ridiculed that harshly, and by a puppet dog.
We've allowed intollerance and utter stupidity to occupy a large space of this society and we've never ever even stood up and said THIS IS DAMN WRONG, and pushed back. It is for this reason that I feel completely embarassed by that video. Americans were able to poke fun at us in such a merciless way and we only have ourselves to blame for it. What I am saying may be a tough pill to swallow but then the Truth always is.
Believe me, there are quite a few others like that one. I'm trying to find this hilarious video put together by Louis-José Houde in which several Quebec politicians make some pretty embarrassing blunders. I'll be sure to pass it on once I find it.
He's a funny guy, but he's unfortunately the enemy. Houde's actually a pretty hardcore separatist, and also happens to be the spokeperson for that "Ici on commerce en Francais" initiative.
Worse yet, he was awarded the "patriote de l'annee" by the SSJB.
But I'll still try finding that bit - still funny stuff.
Ack! Impératif Français wishes us a “Happy Francisation” along with “Happy Holidays, all in French”… I just threw up a little in my mouth… What a bunch of racist nutbars!!!
cutie est terrifiée à l'idée de manifester physiquement ses "convictions politiques". Pauvre pathétique petite madame,comme un chien peureux qui aboie sans cesse caché sous un meuble.
C'est pourtant la triste réalité.Elle crache sans cesse sur les Québécois,ici et sur FB mais ne participe à aucune des manifestations que organisée par ses petits amis la plupart du temps anonymes.
Exactly! Who cares whether you celebrate the holidays in Spanish or Italian or English or Creole or whatever else? This obsession with French has become a sickness for a few insecure people. This message would be unacceptable anyplace else in world and yet it goes unnoticed in Quebec... how did they get a free pass?
The outrage against IF and SJBS should be humongous but somehow or other it goes unnoticed by the ROC = No wonder they've given up on this sick province. We must publicize the hate that they demonstrate against anglophones and allophones every chance we get.
How can they know about these organizations if no one publishes anything outside of quebec? The Gazette doesn't even seem to give them any backlash. Why are they allowed to get away with what I would consider "hateful messages" about the anglophone and allophone communities? As I stated previously, my brother and sister in law live in B.C. and never hear anything about these hateful bigots. We should be hitting newspapers all over the country with these messages from these organizations. French isn't the live all and end all to most francophones; their standard of living is, I'm sure, the most important thing in their lives yet the separatist governments are robbing them blind all in the name of "culture". Wow - the message should be loud and clear - get rid of them and get this province back on track to a better standard of living and less, much less, tax. And wouldn't it be wonderful if SR never returned to this site? Talk about a great Xmas gift - wherever he's off to, I hope he doesn't return.
FROM ED Hey Sauga, Thanks for your support. I have always appreciated your wise advice. like Diogenes in his search for an honest man, I know the individual I seek is out there. Two years ago I could have done it myself but lately I am losing words. My vocab has dwindled. Jeanne Dixon said in my horrible scope that like the ram, I will always be banging my head against the wall for some cause or other. So I'll take a lantern and follow Diogenes. I say to all "Don't overthink" forget the right or left, taxes or culture. That will all fall in line when the majority of members decide what will be. FOR NOW, get a voice make yourselves heard. What you write here send also to the media. Flood the French and English papers and TV with your thoughts. Make people aware that something is happening. Remember, we are allin the same boat and for now it is
The more I read this week`s thread, esp. in the last few minutes, the more I accept what somebody wrote early in the thread this past Monday (Xmas Eve): Perhaps we should forget a party altogether and focus on social activism.
My agenda is different from those still residing in Quebec. Firstly, I'm a loyal Ontarian now, and I look at what`s good for Ontario as opposed to what`s good for Quebec. Unfortunately, the Ontario Liberal Party has proven to be lousy administrators what with running up over $40 billion in debt just over the last two years and expensive f--k-ups like emergency helicopters and a health registry that has cost over $1 billion. Ontario, for the first time, took back some equalization payments, but just a few hundred million dollars as opposed to Quebec's $10 billion or so. To me, all Ontario got was really a dividend because Ontario, is still the largest net contributor to equalization. I'm fine with Quebec getting benefit what it puts into the federal tax system, but no more, no less.
Secondly, I don't see a successful Quebec party much beyond how Equality performed back in 1989. Maybe it will go from four to six or seven members, but no more. The Francophones, even if they are accommodated properly (as they actually were in 1989), will perceive this party as only for the minorities, and all the opposing parties will do their damnedest to drive that fact or fiction home to the «pur lainers», and I think they would succeed very easily; furthermore, it will be strictly a regional party, i.e., the Greater Montreal Area.
Mario Dumont attempted that right-of-center political philosophy with one hurrah, and that's all, just like Equality.
No, I think we should go back to social activism, much like the Carré Rouge. A party is too much to planning with too little reward; alternatively, if the activism is successful, maybe then we could look at a party, so this should be a step-by-step process.
Tony Kondaks on the 26th, 5:27PM: On the one hand, I can easily see the feds not thinking about the Anglophones, but the feds have a aingle trump card that would have a separated Quebec at their mercy: NAFTA.
Canada is a member of NAFTA; a separated Quebec is not, and since unanimity on the part of all NAFTA members is required for admission to NAFTA, Canada can say no to everything and Quebec is left out of NAFTA.
Now, that`s not to say negotiations with the separatists can`t take place, but most of them are motivated to eliminate English as much as they can, and enough of them have a visceral hatred of everything English including the lumping of everybody who isn't of their own ilk. You think you could negotiate with this pack of fascists after an ongoing half century of their putting "us in our place", take your best shot. While surprises are always possible, I'd suggest you prepare for even more disappointments.
Whenever asked about NAFTA Mr. Sauga, the dippies always say "no problem - when we're a country they'll deal with us; we're sure of that" BS and their followers believe them - if they ever separate they'll find that the anglo community in the rest of NA will be so pissed off with them they'll be lucky if anyone buys anything that they produce or want to trade for at least 100 years and they'll be on their knees the whole to get anything going. They think they have problems now - just wait until they ruin a great country and think there will be no penalties for their actions. Silly people better give their heads a shake thinking they can create all this hate and everyone will pat them on the head.
NAFTA is not a big deal. NAFTA unlike the Free Trade Deal with the United States was not a benefit for Canada. It benefited MEXICO more then anyone else. What would hurt Quebec is if Northern Quebec is declared Canadian territory along with any other parts of Quebec the vote to stay in Quebec. Since Quebec would probably not take its share of the Canadian debt in event of any sovereignty/independence declaration, the parts of Quebec that decide to stay in Canada would be off the hook for their share of the Quebec debt.
Free Trade with unlike countries usually shaft the working and middle classes in the developed country and long term economic growth of the developing countries. Furthermore if the United States followed free trade principles instead of Hamiltonian protectionism during its birth, it would not be the economic power it is. Japan and South Korea ignored free trade and joined the developed world as well.
FROM ED We've only just started on this thread and already 15 out of 46 comments are about or by S.R. One third of our time and space goes into pleasing separatists. When are you guys going to realize that is exactly what they want. S.R.is several people whose job is to destroy anything English and keep Anglos from organizing. Just the same way communism is against the Church. There are at least three people which should be obvioust to everyone because no matter what hour of night or day you post he is there to answer. No one man could do this. They are on shifts. I feel he should be shut out completely but it is up to editor. In the meantime Evil and Cutie if you stop answering him he will go away or the Editor could delete his comments. The editor cannot cut out his posts if we are discussing with him. Ed
I've ignored S.R for a long time and I'm a hypocrite for telling Cutie to ignore him, but here's the thing - he's been three times more ignorant than before lately.
I think we can all agree that he is sorely lacking in intellectual clout (which a very nice way of putting things), but lately, especially with him calling posters here cowards and flakes, I want action.
In all my years Ed, I've never met a separatist who isn't a sniveling coward who'll go for the low-blow any chance they get. What I'm saying is this...
...I'll follow my own (past) example and the advice I previously dispensed to other members, and ignore S.R...
...But there's one last thing - and it pertains to a post in this thread.
S.R, I've now mentioned it several times...you got called out three times on election night and turkeyed-out, yet you call those on this blog cowards.
So, since he's saying that anyone opposing the seppie movement on this blog is a keyboard warrior, I want him to step up to my challenge. S.R, we all know you're a 25-cent troll at best, but why not humor us and take me on in a fight?
You've backed out on three other invites from other members...here's your chance to get in league with your venerable colleagues of "patriote past" (they're real heroes btw, they didn't just talk, they made the walk).
So S.R, I will go back to ignoring your slave-mentality comments, but just know this - After you once again back out of another invitation to come and show us what you have, your clout just drops ever further below zero.
Just thought I'd give you a chance, but even then, I'm giving you far more credit than you're worth.
With that being said, Ed, he's back on my ignore list, because I already know what his retort will be.
R. Evil: I think Ed and the rest of the readers, save S.R. and those of his ilk, feel your pain. Unfortunately, and at the same time fortunately, this is a very safe means to say what you wish, no matter how vulgar or eloquent or everything in between it is.
More often than not, I don't read what S.R. and other trolls write altogether, and no matter what any of this ilk have written, I ignore them. I got tired of doughnut cracks, but it's obvious that those who repeat the same insults on an ongoing basis don't have I.Q.S half their shoe size, so simply live and let live. Nobody is going to identify themselves, they won't meet to engage in fisticuffs, and besides, fisticuffs is against the law save in self-defense, and extremely immature. Evil, I like to think you're far above that.
Actually Mr. Sauga, I should bring up something positive instead of focusing on "It" as Troy calls him, so here's some good news I'm very happy to share with all of you.
I've been dabbling in a small online business for the past few months and with the Christmas season performing the way it did, I'm very excited to announce that if things keep up like they have, I'll be able to quit my job in about 5 or 6 months and live off this project full-time.
Well, congrats on your business success. I suggest you place your energy and focus on that and see how it goes from there. Move your business to Cornwall, Alexandria or somewhere just over the border to Ontario and cut your taxes. If you incorporate and stay in Quebec, you have to file your corporate tax returns in French. We'll welcome your commercial success (and lower tax rates) here in Ontario.
Suzanne F.: Are you suggesting that Anglo Quebeckers and other minorities have to manufacture a culture? Why? Because of our North American milieu, I think we have adopted the culture English speakers possess influenced heavily by the media, but also partially by our environs. Our cinemas, theaters, clubs and restaurants were unique compared to other North American cities, and so we did have a culture within Quebec.
Our delis, câsse-croutes and even our dépanneurs and small independent grocery stores (that, unlike elsewhere in Canada, sold beer) and night clubs were much different from the rest of North America. Quebec had sugar shacks (cabannes a sucre), spruce beer, and other activities in which we had partaken before the rest of North Americans did. Snow mobiling started in Quebec, and the first time I saw the term "poutine" was about a year or so after I left Montreal (circa 1985). I didn't see that term in Toronto for a few years. Then again, I first had Buffalo wings in Toronto before they came down the 401 into Montreal. That made sense as Buffalo was to Toronto what Plattsburgh was to Montreal, less the beach.
It was only last year that I found a bagel place in Toronto that made bagel runs to Montreal no longer necessary (The Bagel House, several locations in the GTA, started by an ex-St. Viateur employee. I've only found one really good deli in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill (Center St. Deli, started by the daughter of the founders of the Snowdon Deli).
So there you have it. It looks as if the exodus of Quebec Anglos took Quebec culture beyond the Ottawa River and west of Cornwall. How about that, readers?
Of course Mr. Sauga, that's why there is not that much difference in the English and French cultures. We have lived together side by side for at least 150 years so we are bound to adapt to each others' culture in food, movies, religion, holidays, perhaps not music so much, but in most things. I, unlike the dippies, enjoy learning of other cultures and trying their food for instance and learning of their holidays and what they're about. Too bad they wouldn't try to understand the other cultures more and concentrate only on language. Their loss.
Separatists (pur laine) are not at all interested in other languages or cultures (different foods and holidays are part of people's culture) - their whole platform reeks of isolation, racism and intolerant attitude toward others. Good grief kid, where have you been or, more accurately, where do you live? It's sure not in quebec if you don't know this stuff.
I responded to your comment earlier but for some reason, it was never posted. All the Bills put forward by the separatists, Bill 101 is racist, and anything pertaining to that bill is also racist. Bill 14 just makes it worse. And where you live is relevant.
He'll get a bitch-slap from me alright - but it has to be physical.
See, S.R's not just a troll - he embodies the entire mass-movement of separatist plebes who are getting played by policy makers so they can reap the benefits.
I will go back to ignoring the little troll, but first, I do want to make one last-ditch attempt to lure him into a one-on-one fight.
That's the ultimatum - either he stands up and shows us he's worth something-anything-or he acknowledges that he's the very keyboard-warrior he accused other members of this blog of being.
S.R, I don't know where you crawled to, but just tell yourself this - starting the new year off by having Resident Evil setting you straight really is one of the best things you can opt for as far as new year's resolutions go.
FROM ED Did anybody read my post above. S.R. is not a person. My rheumatois Arthritis makes me sleep in short shifts. I am up all hours of the night and day. No matter what time of night or day I go on line S.R. is there. That is not phuysically possible for one human being. Knowing how separatisis work it's only natural they want to destroy the blog as much as possible. I seriously believe that S.R. is set up to do that. Maybe I"m nuts but I think I'm not far off. Ed
FROM ED ANECTOTE, The EDITOR can not delete his posts as long as we are answering him. The fact that he is able to draw out your anger should tell you that he is smarter than you and perhaps you should quit while you're ahead. Your "If you don't like it" attitude tells us you have more anger at this ghost than you have respect for the rest of us. Ed
I’m afraid I must respond to you Ed. With all due respect, please understand that I was brought up to confront bullies in any form. If I do not, I disrespect myself. If you feel it disrespects you, then that is your issue. This entire problem, the loss of our Rights and Freedoms in this province over decades now, has come about precisely because we, the citizens of this province, have ignored the bullies, the political bullies who have gone to power and systematically stripped us, little by little of what rightfully belongs to us. We can’t afford to lie over and play dead anymore. I have always navigated effortlessly in this province when it came to language, for years. As a minority, I have always been mindful and respectful. It has never been a language issue for me, but the moment someone interfered in a private conversation that I was having with my kid, in our private space, imposingly TELLING me to speak in a different language then I was speaking, it was like breaking and entering to me. At that moment, it became about my Rights, my Freedoms. This is now a completely different animal it is totally unaccetable. How can this happen in North America, and solicit no outrage? This is Canada, but it can easily become Syria. I think EVERYBODY, Anglos, Allophones and Francophone’s are growing tired with this stupid silly nonsense taken to the extreme by a bunch of self-serving elitist who just don’t know when to stop and call it quits.
Also and lastly, please, and again I say this with the utmost respect, you need to stop speaking for Editor. He is a grown boy and can speak for himself. Speaking for him, disrespects him, and that is rather patronizing if you ask me. Thank you.
FROM ED Alright Anectote, Let's get this straight. I am not speaking for Editor, I'm speaking for myself. When the rest of us do our best to get rid of the trolls and you tell us you're going to ignore our efforts and do what you want and if we don't like it don't read your posts. That's not good enough. You needlessly waste space that is meant for all of us. If you want to go your own way get your own site. This business of giving an unknown unseen entity a bitch slap is comic book stuff. For God's sake stop being selfish and grow up. Ed
Interestingly, the CBC recently broadcast a radio show episode of “Spark” that included a segment regarding a scientific study on the “Effects of anonymity, invisibility, and lack of eye-contact on toxic online disinhibition”.
You’re fast becoming a bully yourself, this blog does not belong to you, nor are you the author of it, so stop telling people what to do. This will be my last post to you on this subject and I suggest you do likewise. Suddenly you’re becoming more irritating than S.R. What is ironic here is that your insistence on not giving that creep any attention has resulting in you giving him the maximum attention, with your constant posts to me about him, something to think about perhaps.
Now again, if Editor has a problem with me, let him address me. Please stop speaking for him and stop speaking for this blog, I don’t see anyone else with their knickers in a knot over this; something else to think about.
i'm new to this blog. are you an editor too? if not, i think you are risking your reputation as a civilized contributor, assuming you have one, of course. again, if you are not an associate editor, i strongly sugget YOU open up your own blog shortly.
Also remember Ed what I told you about infiltrators = they love to divide and conquer, watch yourself my friend. They would love nothing better than to split up our movement which is gaining momentum. Ignore student
I look forward to voting for Equality 2.0 in the next and future elections, IF we are still living in this godforsaken province
Meanwhile, we support a boycott of Quebec in order to hurt the xenophobic Government du Quebec, via the reduction of spending by individuals in Quebec.
We no longer purchase wine, etc. here in QC and we no longer purchase lottery tickets here.
As we travel in the US for 48 hrs+ a minimum of 4 times/yr we can bring back $6,400 in purchases/yr. That is a savings of $992 in sales taxes as we shop in NH where there is 0% sales tax on everything and in MA and RI where there is 0% sales tax on clothing/shoes. Across the board, prices in the US are 14% less so we save on the purchase prices as well.
Toys, clothes and shoes offer a super savings. We purchased a toy for $70 in NH. It was $100 in Montreal PLUS tax. We saved $44.50 on one toy!!!
Last yr we skied at Mont Ste-Anne for 5 days. This yr. we will ski at Jay Peak (VT) for 6 days! Mont Ste-Anne is in Pauline Marois' riding! :o)
It is time for everyone who is fed up with Quebec to boycott it
I've joined the boycott - please do so everyone if you possibly can. Some of you will have no choice but to buy quebec products depending on where you live but for those of us that can go to another province or the US to shop, we should do so until these people feel the hurt in their pocketbook which is the only thing they recognize.
FROM ED I'm probably too thick. Age does that to your head. Could someone tell me how boycott can help our cause. I feel it would hurt the poor people that need jobs more than the PQ. They have madee it clear that they don't care if a company closes down or not. Ed
Sorry Ed but we have to take any action we can to stop this abuse of our rights and freedoms and this is just another way to let the dippies of quebec know that we've had enough of their nonsense. Boycotting things has worked as a political pressure for many causes just as sanctions against other countries are used to put pressure on politicians to change their tactics. I don't see how they have made it clear that it's OK to force closures on companies when they are putting their own population out of work - when have they made it clear that they don't care about unemployment in this province? That would be a stupid statement to make to their followers even if half of them are on the dole. I must admit that I also never hear them talking about getting new business but have never heard that they don't care about the unemployment rate.
FROM ED Cutie, They are pressuring seven mega employers who employ at least a hundred thousand. The OQLF doesn't care if they leave and neither does Marois if they refuse French in any way. Are we forgetting the 500,000 jobs they already forced out of this province? They don't care about employment. Ed
I don't believe that they don't care Ed - they are out to prove they can walk all over the Feds on any issue concerning language and want it to go all the way to the Supreme Court to prove their point. This is just another test of the Canadian Federation and we'd better hope that the feds and the SC see it for what it is and put a stop to it or those 100,000 will be unemployed. Should this happen, this will cause a huge backlash from those same people over a stupid law that shouldn't exist in the first place. Either way, it is going to cause big trouble in this province. Again, they are pushing the envelope and hoping this will give their cause for separation a boost.
FROM ED Actually the better hope that the mega companies see it that way. The Americans might feel they don't want to be bothered going that far for something that's not their fight and simply close up shop. Ed
I went to the website and joined up there so I'm not sure if they have been officially notified or not but they will after reading this blog. You can bet they have people monitoring this as well.
And Ed, I don't think the US companies went into this suit without knowing where it's heading. Either way, big problems ahead for the PQ - the amount of money they spend on this type of thing irritates the taxpayer in this province - only the most ardent separatist would find this worthwhile and they are not in the majority.
Ed et al.: Actually, a boycott, I think, is a great idea. Buy alcohol and tobacco outside Quebec. Of course, if you buy in the U.S. or elsewhere abroad, beware of the limits, because if you go over the limits, you have to pay duties and taxes thus defeating the purpose of the exercise.
Bringing alcohol over provincial boundaries also has its problems. Technically, it's illegal to do so; therefore, be sure to put them in your trunk because in most provinces, it has to be inaccessible to the driver by law at all times while the driver is driving. Don't give the police reason to stop you, especially speeding. The chances of being detected are very slim, but many people are not aware of the interprovincial boycott of certain alcoholic beverages, unless authorized by government. Few Quebec alcoholic beverages are available in Ontario and vice versa. Moosehead beer has quite a following for a long time in all the U.S. where it is widely available, but in Canada it could only be obtained in NS and NB. Fortunately this interprovincial protectionism is lifting slowly, but we have less interprovincial free trade than we do with NAFTA countries.
As for the big internationals, the lawsuit against the OQLF is more a nuisance thing than anything else. They're not going to pack up and leave as long as there are profits to be made. Compared to net profits, the legal fees are a drop in the bucket.
I would like to get back to the main subject of starting a new political party with a view to promote respect and prosperity for all Quebecers. I would suggest using the same approach Francois Legault did by starting with a "Manifesto" and then gauging the pollution through some opinion polls. I would suggest we cover the following issues: Federalism: Canada is a great place to live and there are tremendous benefits - both economic and social - to being part of it. No other party in Quebec, even the Liberals, will openly state that they are 100% pro-Canada. This would set us apart and give us a following. Language: French is the predominant language of Quebec and we have no intention of changing that. However there has been an English-speaking population, strongly concentrated in the Montreal area, that has lived here for several hundred years. This population of 1 million+, which is more than that of Nova Scotia, deserves to be recognized and respected. Access to English schools: Barring Francophones from sending their kids to an English school is discrimination. Please let adults choose for themselves. Perhaps as a compromise all non-qualifying students can be given a quota of three years in English school to at least give their kids a chance of having some exposure. Role of the OQLF: The role of the OQLF should be to promote in a constructive fashion the proper and grammatically correct use of French. OQLF inspectors should be consultants to business owners to help them with signs, menus and translating websites. This rather than being a source of harassment and a drain on the limited time business owners have to take care of real issues like customers and employees. Taxes: Taxes are far too high in Quebec and have made us uncompetitive. There is far too much government spending in Quebec and a completely bloated civil service. There are many duplicate government agencies at the provincial level that should simply be shut down or merged with their federal equivalent. Why have Revenu Quebec when the feds do exactly the same and could pay for it? Transfer payments: We in Quebec should be embarrassed at the amount to money the federal government transfers to us. We deliberately keep hydro rates low so as not to reduce our federal handouts. If Quebecers truly want to be free, we need to get our act together and create some level of acceptable wealth. Corporate subsidies: Quebec is the worst offender here. Quebec pays out in subsidies to local companies what it collects in corporate taxes. Wouldn't it be more logical to simply eliminate all subsidies, shut down all the agencies that handle these handouts, and then cut corporate taxes to zero? That in itself would be a incredible incentive for companies to set up shop in Quebec. Government intervention in the economy via the Caisse de Dépot: The Caisse is a retirement fund, not a personal bank account for some politicians to try to score points. The Caisse needs to remain independent (in my opinion it should be merged with the Canada Pension Plan). Public Health care: We need a public health care system, but let's introduce a little competition into the system by farming out some of the work to private practices paid for by the public system. Immigration: Our population is aging and we need newcomers to fill in. However let's please focus on skill sets and potential rather than almost exclusively on language skills. The fact is you need to speak French in order to get a decent job. That alone is an incentive to learn it. And the best place to learn it if you are not a native speaker is at work where you will use it 8 hours a day. Some of you reading this may say that I am simply regurgitating Francois Legault's part platform. However in our case we would be clear on our position on our views on Federalism, language and the role of the Caisse. And we would not say, "No referendum for 10 years", it would simply be, "No referendum as long as we are in power".
FROM ED MTL These are all good points to discuss after we get a movement going. In the meantime send this type of thing to columnists like Don MacPhersonor Peggy Curran for publishing. Onepoint I must correct is when you say the Liberals have never declared themselves one hundred percent Federalists, you're wrong.. Jean Charest and the Liberals led the fight against separation in 1995. Charest inspired enough Quebecers to vote no and declared the Liberal Party 100 perent Federalist. Today they are our only hope of English freedom. Ed
1973: Most are good, cogent points, but while that learning French comment for career enhancement is good on paper, is it the reality? Quebec hiring practices are affirmative action, and affirmative action is discrimination. Leaving Quebec is the path of least resistance and that is a lot of my raison d'être for leaving.
The health care system is so lousy, not only in Quebec, that many of the better health care professionals leave for the U.S. It may be expensive, but the better health care facilities invest in the latest technology and health care professionals train for that, not Quebec's obsolete equipment and ridiculously long waits for necessary surgery. Francophones who can function in English leave for better opportunities.
Overall, Quebec is simply not competitive because of taxes and restrictive labour laws, and reckless spending on business subsidies and other crap that does nothing to stimulate the economy. Quebec lives on entitlements, namely equalization and other federal government goodies. There are resources in the ground. Why not extract them?
Why spend their own money on the resources that we have when the feds keep passing them money hand over fist? They deliberately do not extract these resources hoping for their own country so they don't have to share any proceeds with the ROC. If they attained separation, all of a sudden we would see big "discoveries" being made in quebec and they could keep all the profits for their own crooked "in" crowd. Disgusting, selfish idiots.
many (majority?) people in quebec are reluctant to going full blast on mining and pumping gas for four reasons.
first a lot of the stuff in beneath farm lands and towns. having a gas well in your backyard sucks. people understand that and are compassionate with would-be "victims".
second, people in quebec are generally quite ecologically aware. and these projects often represent a clear and present risk that quebec people are not willing to take.
third, people are aware that the "claims" system still in use dates back to klondike times and that companies pay a tax on profit rather than extracted volume. they know an update of the scheme is necessary before anything big gets underway.
and finally the liberal party of quebec has pushed hard for these resources projects, and since they are under inquiry for corruption, everything they promoted is suspicious.
it has nothing to do with selfishness i'm afraid cutie003. sorry.
What a pile of BS - You tell me that quebec is more ecologically conscious than the other provinces? quebecers are special that way - wow - how dumb do you think we are? All the separatist governments in this province are as money hungry as any other provincial government and are not special in any way except they want to suck every cent they can out of the ROC until they are on their own and if you think anything else, you're as dumb as a post. The PQ are just as corrupt as any other party in this place and everyone knows it.
FROM ED Cutie, If we wantaction here's a good place to start. Let's ask everyone here to send an email to a government agency/person or amedia outlet and publish a copy here for all to see. To help each other get ideas of how to go about it. Ed
FROM ED BROWN EDITOR I seem to have a problem with posts disappearing when I post after someone else who I am also trying to answer. I replied to your post asking me how Christmas services went. I said It went well, I played for three hours and not a shot was fired, or maybe they missed. Thanks for the wish. Ed Rge second post was to REDIDENT EVIL to congratulate him on looking forward to a new life style. Theuy disappeared and I now they were not deleted because it would say so. Posts at the end of the thread seem to be alright. Ed
Ed - I am glad to publish anything I send to the media, feds or provincial authorities but please do not give out your personal info as you did above. I am worried that this could bring about retaliation from some of those dippies out there that monitor this site.
Like this morning, there is an article in the Montreal Gazette that suggests that changes begin with you. Why don't all of you send a letter to the Gazette with suggestions on how to get Montreal back on the right path? First of all suggestions as to who should be the next mayor. Duceppe, Harel, both dippies - I would bring that up as a point that you don't want any more dippies in charge of anything! They have ruined the economy of quebec and now want to further ruin Montreal. Stress the multi-culture aspect of Montreal and the fact that you want it to be a real part of Canada not of a separate quebec. I'm sure a lot of the letters would be published. If I lived there, that's what I would do. I asked the Editor if it was OK to send a letter to the Gazette on behalf of this site and ask for their support in our efforts but never received a response from him so I have not sent the letter.
er...no. you are confused i believe. the gang that has tried to ruin quebec's economy is the liberal party of quebec. now that you know, do you wish to re-write your comment?
You may be a student young man but this whole mess is because of the separatists in this province and their ethnic cleansing of the anglophone community along with their money, wasteful spending habits on things like language police, double dipping out of public money, driving business away with their stupid language laws (including large US investors), and spending money on court cases that should never, ever be happening. I admit the liberals didn't do much to improve the economy when they were in power, but at least the economy didn't stagnate as it is doing now. So now that you know, do you wish to re-write your comment? Until the threats of separation cease from this province and the government learns to get along with the rest of the provinces instead of fighting them at every turn, the economy is going to go down the tubes until we're bankrupt.
And if you were one of those students out in the street banging pots this past summer, you are part of one of the biggest problems in this province - everybody wanting something for nothing. Our taxes are the highest in North America caused by the socialists in this place that don't want to work for a living and want free education among other things. These outrageous tax rates sure don't induce people to move here along with their crazy language laws. Ask your mom and dad how they feel about how much tax they pay and I have already paid to educate my children so I'm damned if I feel like paying to educate someone else's kids, thank you. You all need to shake your heads and grow up before you are part of the bankruptcy that is coming quickly.
"but at least the economy didn't stagnate as it is doing now."
ah? i did not see any number that confirms that yet, can you share your data please?
"do you wish to re-write your comment?"
not yet. not until you prove that quebec was thriving under liberals and stagnating now.
"Until the threats of separation cease..."
i don't think it will ever cease. after all longing for freedom is quite a natural thing. it will cease if french canadians become a demographic minority. i don't think you should wish for that, and if you do, you become the "ethnic cleanser"....
"And if you were one of those students out in the street banging pots..."
wow you assume a lot of things based on a flimsy nickname. it's like if I would assume you're cute. how absurd would that be?!?
Letter I sent to the Ottawa Citizen but unfortunately was not published. Just a sample.
Living in Gatineau, I see the disappearance of the English language daily in restaurants, grocery stores, flyers, etc. I have lived here for 60 years and never has it been so apparent that the separatists are out to destroy every sign of English in Quebec. They don't give a whit about our rights and freedoms and with the continuous onslaught of organizations like SJBS and IF, they deliberately set out to make our lives as uncomfortable as possible. We have a few organizations like the Quebec Office of the English Language and the Regional Association of West Quebecers, but they are limited in what they can do because of Bills like 101 and now Bill 14, should it pass in the National Assembly. None of our provincial nor federal governments are doing one thing to stop these language bigots in their pursuit of revenge against the anglophone and allophone communities that reside here.
One has to wonder when the federal government steps in and puts a stop to the abuse of the rights of Canadian citizens (and obviously there are many of us) that want to live in peace and harmony with our francophone neighbours rather than pitting us against one another on a daily basis to gain separatist votes. Either we are all Canadian, living under one constitution, or we're not. We are not speaking Chinese in Quebec, we speak one of the official languages of Canada which is English and these language bigots should not be allowed to run rough-shod over our rights and freedoms with provincial legislation at their whim. These bigots are forcing the anglophone and allophone community out of their homes and businesses without a second thought and they must be stopped. It is perhaps time for the federal government to step in and demand that referendums are held under Clarity Act Rules and areas that vote to start a new country be allowed to leave Canada and the rest of us create a new bilingual province or join N.B. or Ontario. Action has to be taken to stop these separatists from ruining the whole country. We need assistance from the federal government and are counting on them to take action.
FROM ED CUTIE, I meant to take out the address and phone but it was late and being tired I wasn't thinking properly. I wanted to sleep but someone needing help came and we talked for two hours. I finally crashed after 2am which accounts for the typos in my 2am note to EDITOR. Perhaps EDITOR will delete it for me and I can republish. You could try your letter with the Gazette, they are looking for material now with their new campaign about Montreal. Ed
I firmly believe the Feds are do not care about Anglos or Allos in Quebec. The only thing they really care is to keep the province within Canada - at any cost. Because separation will ruin Canada's economy for a decade or so. To that end, they abandoned Anglos and Allos here after the second referendum - the vote base is too small comparatively with the French. Same thing for the provincial Liberals. Federalism matters so much that any price is worth it as long as we are the ones paying it. That is why they close eyes to discrimination and xenophobia here.
You're probably right but we have to fight back as best we can and show these people for what they really are before they take us back to the stone age with their zeal for separation.
FROM ED I had an answer from Peter Penashue the Prime Minister's office boy. Basically saying thenks for sharing your views with me. The following is my answer to him.
In reply to your letter of November 27th 2012. Try to understand that I was not just sharing my views. We, in Quebec are asking our Government to act. You might pass on to the Prime Minister that Anglophones in Quebec are beginning to act on their own. When they do it will be embarrassing for him to explain to North American news media why he does not protect the freedom of Canadian Citizens. Canadian laws give Provincial Governments the right to promote their language, it does not give the right to deny others the same, as the Party Quebecois does to English Citizens in Quebec. We have been in contact with news media from coast to coast and they are all willing to do shows on the lack of freedom in Canada. We feel it is only fair to advise Prime Minister Harper of the action we feel we must take. Hundreds of complaints to news media about the lack of democracy here will not be ignored. CNN has asked for more information and they will get it. We do not enjoy having to reach outside our Country for help but the Prime Minister's silence has created a vaccuum which must be filled. This is a necessity in order to live a life that is ours by right. Edward Brown
FROM ED EDITOR Thanks for the delete. I almost made the same mistake above. I will try to control my zeal better. CUTIE, I tried to publish Penashues answer from Penashue but something in their email won't let me copy it. Antway basically all he said was we stand up for rights of all citizens and thanks for sharing your views. So now I'm sharing some more. I'll let you know if he answers. Ed
Me too and couldn't copy. Didn't say much anyway, they're really concerned about national unity, etc but no commitment to anything. What do we expect from politicians - they'll all the same, looking to getting elected and not much of anything else. Pisses me off.
FROM ED I have contacted CKUT McGill radio about the possibility of a weekly half hour show reaching anglos and francos to calm their fears of each other and of each others language. I dida show for them back in the 70's called 'Voice of the Poor' It generated several food banks.I passed it on to a guy who went and died on them and so did the show. Ed
FROM ED Copy of letter to the Gazette. I sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada asking him to act for English language rights here in Quebec. I suggest that all those concerned do the same before they pass Bill 14. Canadian law gives provinces the right to choose their language. It does not give the right to deny other languages as the Parti Quebecois is doing. We must stand up for our rights or deserve to lose them. Ed Brown
Any letters to the Gazette must have name address and phone number. Do not ramble, it has to be about one particular subject. Try it. It's easy and valuable to our cause. The Gazette does not publish more than your name. Ed
What is the level of likelihood of your letter being published? I hope it reaches the effect you intend it to, Mr Brown. How is Verdun these days? When my mum was a girl it was an English town. Is it pretty much all French Canadians these days? Things can sure change fast in a relatively short period of time.
He sounds to me like a very young, very naive, little boy that probably doesn't reside in quebec. Not sure if he is a troll but if he keeps posting, we will soon find out. Been nice without the stupid remarks of our last troll so let's keep our fingers crossed that it's just a kid with nothing else to do today.
You are new to this blog and have no business commenting about resident evil and anything he may say. What he says or does not say does not concern me in the least but our other troll is irritating enough to warrant threats from a lot of us. Rather than waste everyone's time, I'm going to dismiss you as just another troll unless you prove otherwise with relevant comments.
To all my federalist friends and to the Editor = I wish you all the very best in the New Year and I hope we can come to some kind of resolution to rid ourselves of these racists and that would be the best new year of all!
the first phrase of your last comment is a total contradiction.
then you carry on by confirming that resident evil's violent threats are legitimate. this should be scary for people who are tempted to join your new political party or movement.
then you insult me with a "troll" line that is totally out of place. words lose their power when you abuse them you know?
FROM ED BROWN EDM It's pretty good. I've had a lot of letters published in the Gazette. Probably around twenty this year. It depends on the volume they get and how important they feel your subject to be. Verdun is a great place to live. Still mostly bedroom community with great parks. It's safe to be on the street at any time of night. An old person's dream. Ed
Student, which party do you like best? Do you feel that another new party is a good idea? Would you care to tell us what you're studying? Welcome aboard. Ed
Listen you little boy (I think) there will be violence in this province if the separatists don't cease and desist from provoking us any further - you got it? We have done nothing, do you hear it, nothing to deserve the piss poor treatment we get from our government(s), including the liberals who are supposed to be supporting us as federalists. Ed seems to be interested in what you have to say but I don't because you haven't been here long enough to deserve my interest
FROM ED having read all his posts It is obvious Student is a troll probably working with the S.R. group. I will ignore him and suggest we all do the same. Ed
FROM ED It's now obvious to me that what we've known as S.R. was a plot all along. They now call themselves 'student'. Fortunately their ineptitude gives them away. Student (read stupid) writes English different from the others. They almost had me fooled until I read all stupid's posts. Cutie, stupid is attacking you because you expose separatism for what it is. Your posts are so right on it angers them. You tell the truths that they want hidden from French and English alike. They are a group that work underground like the poisonous 'Fer De Lance' found only in France. They are attacking me because I urge contributors to ignore them. From now on I will refer to them only as the stupids and not answer the insults even though they give me a good laugh. Ed
just so we're on the same wavelenght, for me an insult is a form of speech deliberately intended to be rude. here are examples taken from your last comment:
"Student (read stupid) writes English..." "...until I read all stupid's posts." "Cutie, stupid is attacking you..." "...I will refer to them only as the stupids..."
so, when did I scold such crap ed? hint: never.
about your paranoid nightmare, ed, you know the undergroud group that is attacking you, don't you think it's quite normal that people come to this blog and ask stuff? I would even think it's healthy. don't you agree?
you seem to be afraid of having to back up your conclusions. i don't see another way to explain why you already started demonizing me, after one day! this is typical of someone who knows he defends a shaky position.
I don't think it's your case at all, i'm just informing you about what you look like.
it amazes me when i see adults, in 2012, using insults thinking it's gonna lead them somewhere better. i was under the impression tht this method has been proven shitty many many times. why do you keep on using it resident evil?
Ed - people are usually pretty busy on New Years Eve and New Years Day - not to worry - Editor will be back from his vacation and posting a new thread and comments very soon. Hope you had a good day.
Student: "so again, can you quote the "racist" part of bill 101 please? it's the third time i ask."
Our distinguished contributor SR has a convenient definition of racism: francophobia=outrageous and despicable racism, anglophobia=not racism at all, what are you talking about. SR will cite francophobic rants from R.Bain and wax indignant about racism directed at francophones, but when someone tries to link anglophobia with racism, SR is the first one to ridicule the accusation, because as he says, "language is not race". I asked him to clear up this contradiction before, but he dodged the challenge. Maybe you can enlighten us as to what you think.
As for 101, racist or not, it is nonetheless an arrogant and toxic piece of legislation. It has an awful cultural influence on QC francophones as it prays on their deep-seated insecurities to build up a strain of white supremacy - in this case reflected in language. 101 normalizes things that should be frowned upon (snitch mentality, surveillance culture) and poisons relations between people.
If 101 is what QC francophones need to survive, then I pity them. And this is coming not from an anglo, but from "an importation".
En passant adskouille,il y a erreur sur la personne,je ne suis pas "student",ceci-dit la question demeure : Pourquoi autant de francophobes viennent s'installer au Québec ?
La francophobie serait-elle reliée au trouble du comportement qu'est le masochisme? Je ne connais pas beaucoup d'anglophobes qui vont vivre au canada.
FROM ED I agree EDM. I have no idea why ADSKI is inviting them to post, but there are anglo trolls as well as francs. What Adski is asking him to contribute would fill at leasr 50 lines, which makes me wonder if ADSKI is one of them. Perhaps he would state which side he is on. Ed
bill 101 is not about race, hence it can't be racist. cutie003 and co will have to find another word. if a proper word does not exist, they will have to fall back to "language based discrimination", or something like that. less evocative, but more true. serious militants should chose the later.
when you affirm that bill 101 is all bad, you make at least one of the two following assumptions: french language/culture in north america is not threatened and french language/culture in north america is not worth preserving. i disagree with both. hence i think bill 101 has a valid purpose.
if louisiana and acadie had had a similar law, they would probably still be french, and the world would be a better place. not because these places would be french, but because they would still be particular and original.
as far as sr's "contradiction" is concerned, i can only say that bain seems pretty badly francophobic. and "anglophobia" is obviously just as bad. but you don't provide examples, so I can't write much more about it.
"if louisiana and acadie had had a similar law, they would probably still be french, and the world would be a better place. not because these places would be french, but because they would still be particular and original."
How interesting then, that you inist on spitting on the country (CANADA) that has allowed you the possibility and the opportunity to retain your language of origin and basically do as you like when it comes to language. In fact, you're forever giving Canada a hard time for spoiling you. I guess Canada deserves it, maybe if it would wear the pants and toughen up a little, the little spoiled child would be set straight and grow the f. up.
Yes AnecTOTE - We have let them push us around for far too long in the belief that we were assisting them to retain their language and culture and look where this has taken us. The more they get the more they want (Bill 14) and now we have to push back as they've become like the male child in the home that finally starts pushing his mother around for being too good to him. The ROC has seen it through transfer payments because they refuse to stand on their own two feet and we have seen it through more and more restrictive language legislation and ethnic cleansing of the allophone and anglophone communities. I hope we democratically partition this place and let those areas that vote to leave go on their way and let the rest of us be a new bilingual province within Canada. Municipal or Federal District referendums with Clarity Act Rules, one last time, and send them on their way with our blessings for a great life and leave us alone.
Student: "when you affirm that bill 101 is all bad, you make at least one of the two following assumptions: french language/culture in north america is not threatened and french language/culture in north america is not worth preserving"
I don't think French language or culture were threatened in NA before 101 was passed, I think its survival was assured through reproduction before the 1970's. The post-Bill 101 society is actually more of a threat to the French language, because the reproduction rates plummeted as secularization and materialism kicked in.
But for the sake of argument, let's assume the following holds true: with 101 - French culture (in NA, let's remember that in thew world French is doing fine, France was after all the second largest pillager of the world alongside Britain), without 101 - French culture in NA dies. Where do I stand if this oversimplified picture is true? I still stand against 101, for economic reseanos. The language laws in QC do serve an economic purpose, and there are some great works that rpoved this point (e.g. William D. Coleman's PhD disseration for Univ. of Chicago in 1984, published as a book under the title: "The Indepependec Movement in Quebec: 1945-1980). Some QC Inc watchdogs have dismissed Coleman's work as "vulgar Marxism that reduced everything to the question of economics", but Coleman does make a convincing case of the quiet revolution being an economic revolution where Montreal's and Quebec City's bourgeois class used nationalism to displaced the competitors (anglos, and the church) and step in as the new "elite", while the regular Quebecois Joe (Jacques) saw little difference in his life. Coleman's theseis is even supported by some QC nationalsits themselves who like to myssify 101 by cloaking it in the platitiudes about saving culture anf languages, but occasinally making a slip about the "upper floors" and "shop floors", and how (city-dwelling) francophones were able to make the transition upwards with the state on their side.
You can say to that: what is wrong with that? Doesn't every ethnicity has a right to assert an economic standing? I would say: first of all, true, but it';s sad that groups of people do it at the expense of others. Second, if you have the right to assert your economic standing, so do I. I my case, that assertion would involve, amongst other things, the removal of the roadblock (bill 101). In your case, it would involve protection of 101. Which is fine. What's not fine is you trying to obscure this fact by reductionism of 101 to cultural issues, by drawing attention from the economic side, which makes it easy for you to place an economic struggle for equality with cultural insensitivity (towards the francophones).
The point about economy has been made about many scholars of (linguistic and ethnic) nationalism. The (late) British historian (of international fame) Eric Hobsbawm made this point in his "Nations and Nationalism since 1780". P.117/118, quote:
"I do not wish to reduce linguistic nationalism to a question of jobs, as vulgar materialist-liberals used to reduce the question of war to the profits of armaments firms. Nevertheless it cannot be fully understood unless we see the vernacular language as, among other things, a vested interest of the lesser examination-passing classes. Each step giving the vernacular language greater official standing, especially as a teaching language, multiplied the number of men and women who could have a share in this vested interest. Hence the crucial moment in the creation of language as a potential asset is not its admission as a medium of primary education but its admission as a medium of secondary education, such as was achieved in Flanders and Finland in the 1n the 1880s. For it is this which, as the Finnish nationalists were clearly aware, linked social mobility to the vernacular, and in turn to linguistic nationalism. It was in Antwerp and Ghent that a new secular minded generation, educated in Flemish in public secondary schools, produced many of the individuals and groups who formed and sustained the new Flamingant ideology. One might have expected the Flemings, like the Quebecois, with demography in their favor, to look to the future with confidence. In this respect they were more favored than the speakers of more rural idioms like Irish, Breton, Basque, Romansch, Frisian or Welsh which left to themselves, did not look like effective competitors in a purely Darwinian interlingual struggle for existence. Flemish and Canadian French were in no sense threatened as languages. What was under threat was not their language but the status and social position of the Flamingant or Quebecois middle strata. Only political protection could raise these." End quote.
So Student, by reducing the issue to culture and language, and playing the "insensitivity to francophones" guilt card , what you really want us to do is not to criticism a system whose primary role is essentially economic, and which works to your advantage and our disadvantage. Nice try, Student, but it won't fly.
FROM ED Yes EDM, I agree. But there is a joy in having them, when we can sense their frustration as we completely ignore them. Do you agree that we should call them the stupids? There is obviously more than one trying to fill the site with shit. This is why they ask questions that they hope we will answer. It also explains their use of double spacing. Ed
All of your questions have been asked and answered by others hundreds of times before. Read past posts and threads pertaining thereto so we don't have to repeat ourselves a million more times.
i checked and my question about a possible link between an underground separatist tac team and double spacing was never answered before.
also, if you are gonna start a political movement, you should be ready to answer the same questions many times. that is if you plan to draw any attention to your agenda. i assume it's the case. am i wrong?
If we are honest, we will admit that Bill 101 is a highly restrictive piece of legislative and has provided permission to further restrictive legislation. The so called “protection” of a specific language has now come to hinder everyone’s Rights and Freedoms, EVERYONE’S, in this province. Municipalities will no longer be under the obligation to provide services to citizens in either one of the two official languages of this country. This is wrong.
Francophone’s without eligibility certificates are not allowed to choose to send their kids where ever they want to get an Education. This is wrong. This impedes on their Rights and Freedoms.
There is absolutely nothing that should stand above the Rights and Freedoms of the citizen of a free and democratic country. Last time I checked this is what Canada is suppose to be. We have armed forces in foreign lands fighting against “ethnic cleansing” to defend those very RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS in oppressive and dictatorial societies and why? Because NOTHING STANDS ABOVE THIS IDEAL! But right here, however, right in Canada’s back yard, under its very nose, the same thing is happening, but it chooses to ignore it; how hypocritical, how wrong, how shameful.
This new party we’re going on and on about should really start as a movement. There needs to be an awakening of a consciousness in this regard, and it has to be awakened in everyone. Francophone’s are the first that need to realize this. For decades they have been denied basic Rights and Freedoms, do they not care? We should all acknowledge that this should be a collective fight because this is everyone’s battle. I do think this can unite us all, Francophone’s, Anglophones and Allophones alike. The enemy is out there, pitting us against each other, divide and conquer has never rung more true. We should be working together for our betterment. It’s really too bad that in so many decades, there hasn’t been a stirring of such a realization from anyone.
"For decades they have been denied basic Rights and Freedoms..."
that will be a hard sell. for decades, actually centuries, french canadians have been denied basic freedoms by the english "elite", not by bill 101.
i don't think you can ignite french indignation by underlining the fact that they can't send their kids to english elementary and high school, or post english only signs on their window. no one will consider this a big deal at all, since, according to my estimate, ninety-nine per cent of them wouldn't consider these actions anyways.
is there another very important right that french canadians lose with bill 101 anectote?
I beg to differ, I have many many Quebecois friends and the ones that do not speak English or speak it very poorly lament all the time that I got to choose and they didn't. One of these, who I have known now for 3 years since you can say we commute together daily, up until this summer, was not aware that I am not Francaphone and one day heard me speak English on my cell, from that day forward, she has insisted on speaking English to me, says she needs the practice, even though I continue to speak to her in French. Our conversations are a little bizarre but they work for us. I think Franophones without eligibility certificates, deep deep down, do give a sh*t that they don't have the freedom of choice when it comes to the language of their children's education. Perhaps they won't openly admit it still, but they certainly do care and it bugs the hell outa them. They know that the lack of that important language may very well hinder them since there is a world beyond Quebec. Anyone with any ambition wants to be a "Contender"! To be able to get out there and compete for their spot in society and to be in a position to take advantage of any and all opportunities near and far. In order to do that, you need some very basic tools. English is a basic tool, and if you are honest, you will admit it is. In time, so will they, so will everyone one else.
It is a complete infridgement of our Rights and Freedoms that not all of us get to choose in the province, get to choose the best future possbile for our children. That argument, stands alone!
Now let me ask you this, given the opportunity, would you go back to being unilingual, French only? Thank you.
earlier you complained about having to repeat yourself over and over again, and still you write this kind of useless insulting crap for the tenth time in two days.
you now have two options: stop repeating yourself or start answering questions.
Cutie, maybe student is not a troll after all, I think he just wants to understand why we feel the way we do. He addresses this blog in English, for starters, in light of the fact that this is an English blog, he is being respectful and for me that is demonstrating good intentions. I do not think he is just here to piss people off. Rights and Freedsoms is everyone's business, that is the message we need to convey, that is the message that will get everyone ..onside!
I would still like to know where he lives and he says it's not relevant but to me it is. Unless he resides in this place, you cannot comprehend what is actually going on here - you really have to live it on a daily basis to understand how hateful these separatists are. That would make a difference to me as to whether or not he is actually a troll.
FROM ED Has nobody noticed that while student has been posting, S.R. has been conspicuously absent. They are not the same person. Their writing is too different. I say again they are a team working to fill the blog withcrap and deny us saying anything sensible. Student is a lot smarter than SR but I still call them the stupids. Anyone who can't see what the PQ is doing to us is stupid or pretending like the trolls. Ed
Vous représentez les "résidus" du système politique canadien,en quelque sorte des "sacrifiés" de la fédération.Vous êtes au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment: Les anglos les plus intelligents ont quitté et qui actuellement notre territoire,pour ce qui est des moins doués...Assumez!
Je me réfère à R.S, celui qui affiche en rouge et avec une belle feuille d’érable.. jou jou, donc ne te flattes pas. Je trouve intéressant quand même que Resident Evil te préoccupes de cette façon d'ailleurs. On dirait qu’il te rends mal à l'aise? LOL
Holy mackerel, our pet troll sure has an outsized ego and a grandiose sense of self-importance! I suppose those are the basic building blocks for becoming an internet troll in the first place.
Why, thank you, AnecTOTE. I must say I agree with The Cat’s comments below, however. In addition, as for the people who take the time to write a post informing us that they don’t have time to post now, or informing us of their latest computer hardware upgrade, or correcting their own grammatical mistakes… they bog down the comments section with clutter and make it more difficult to keep one’s mind on what the current topic is.
It’s also a pity that the Editor doesn’t differentiate between eradicating trolling (which is a rite of passage for serious blogs; becoming troll-worthy is a sign of movin’ on up in the blog world) and censoring contrarian, informed points of view (like Louis Préfontaine did to Apparatchik some time ago).
FROM ED EDITOR Since the trolls; SR, Student and anedote have taken over the site with nonsense, I am going to sitback until we get to the next post. Cutie, Don't waste your time and don't let anectote'sinsults bother you. He has obviously joined the trolls. Ed
I think it’s a good idea that certain people “sit back” and refrain from posting, for a while, especially since they’ve managed to completely monopolize this blog for a while now. I just find myself automatically skipping over numerous posts searching for some other more inspirational contributions.
I concur. The blog comments have indeed become something of an “echo chamber” of late, as Yannick once put it, which defeats the purpose. Some venting is fine but Sauga, Cutie and Ed are basically talking amongst themselves almost alone at this point, while repeating themselves over and over. Also, some people treat the blog comments almost as their own personal chat site, with an excessive number of personal messages that are of no interest to other readers.
An unfortunate side effect of our having to constantly ignore this blog’s main troll is that people are also encouraged to ignore other posts as well. For example, I think some of Student’s questions are valid. Judging by the types of mistakes he makes in English, he is likely a francophone who is willing to engage in constructive and respectful debate but no one is answering him.
Another reason why many people choose just read the Editor’s posts without commenting is the flagrant abuse of the comment section that is tolerated under the false pretext of avoiding “censorship”. If moderation were tidied up, I have a strong feeling that more interesting commentary would emerge because as it stands now, some people are simply embarrassed to respond to the strident and/or lowbrow commentary and thus also avoid commenting on the main post altogether.
With the new year upon us, my wish is that the Editor rethink the rules of participation in his expanding blog with a view toward improving quality over quantity.
@ student You should read The Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml And pay particular attention to article 27(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. @adski thanks for the book title ,read it on line during the holy days http://www.skcentral.com/downloads/ebooks/goingpostal.pdf @cute you should read this, you might change your mind about unions by the way you are aware that your family doctor belongs to one Canadian Medical Association
ok ok fine. here's my opinion. french canadians should not want their kids to attend english elementary and high school, after all french is difficult to master, but they should still have the right to do so.
but we're digressing. my point is that anglos shouldn't count on this issue to have french canadians come out in force against bill 101.
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteThank you Editor it was getting a little hairy with the extra loading. Some did some didn't. I have a new keyboard thank heaven so tired of repairing typos.
Enjoy your holiday, you deserve it. Ed
Thank you ED
DeleteI hope you enjoyed Xmas services and that your participation in Church brought you joy.
Today we are not supposed to wish those who are observant good tidings, beyond gift giving, to which I say... Bah Humbug!!!
A very merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you for contributing to our blog...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Yes, thank you Editor - seems to go hairy after 200 posts so glad you created a new thread - Happy New Year from me also.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteTo recap what I have posted so far that Ifel is important to be said.
Don't overthink your posts. If you're writing about the party don't confuse yourself with thoughts about other areas. Think positive, we can make this work. If you need help read what L.STEVE has said. He put it perfectly. Don't let others fill your head with things like the PLQ going separatist. Coiullard doesn't speak for the party. Forget about the Catholic Church and S.R.and keep on the subject. Stay onjective, we are out to win back our RIGHTS. Ed
Actually, Ed, I'm glad you're on because I want to respond to your address to me on December 26, 2012 6:17:00 PM EST: Yes, the same people in the PLQ from 20 and 30 years ago are not the same people as they are today. They're worse today! As the Editor has observed previously, there are fewer MNAs from the PLQ who speak English today, and their stance is more nationalistic. The English speaking MNAs now don't appear to even attempt to resist anti-English legislation.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I was against any and all Quebec political parties in the past, save Equality (albeit their being one-trick ponies in reality). I don't trust one MNA as far as I can throw them! I also want to clearly and unequivocally emphasize once again, if I didn't do so already, that I NEITHER HAVE, DON'T NOW nor EVER WILL "talk up" the CAQ! I make no mistake about it, Ed. The CAQ are separatists, and this group is stalking and skulking around just waiting for an opportunity for their so-called "winning" conditions. They'll strike like cobras at the first opportunity. No Ed, I'm NOT "talking up" anybody! Far from it!
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteCutie, Stop fretting about bill 14. They're only starting hearings on it in march. Let's get the party going so that by the time it comes up we'll have a voice and make it heard. Ed
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteMr.Sauga, I'm sorry I have spoken out of turn, my bad. I meant to criticize your stance on the Liberals. I agree that the Libs are no angels but dammit we're desperately trying to find a formula that works. There is no Question that they have the best chance. people who voted CAQ see now the damage that they did and will not repeat the mistake. The Libs were popular with the Federalist Francs and I'm sure they will come back. Who cares what's in the heart of the party, if we got them by the short hairs they will comply. As the hippie boy said to the hippie girl, "Hey honey did you ever get picked up by the fuzz?" She said, "Gee no, I bet it hurts like hell." I'm asking people to keep it light. Don't get tangled up with who did what. Right now we should concentrate on getting a voice.
The best way is the one you suggested months ago by
writing to the news agencies. Jack Cafferty and
George Christopoulous both said get me the material and I'll run with it. I like L.Steve's idea to approach French who want to enrol in English schools and get them on our side. What we need right now is a Thomas Jefferson who can word
documents so delicately that no one could be offended, and do it in French. Ed
Ed, I hate to play the devil's advocate with you, so if you want to go to Shagri La and seek out this fictitious individual, you have my blessing and very best wishes--you'll need them!
DeleteI now turn my attention to addressing Tony Kondaks'comments of Wednesday, December 26th @ 9:15 PM:
ReplyDeleteI'll accept your word about the three MNAs who not only resigned their cabinet posts over Bill 178, but left the National Assembly over it. You didn't mention how John Ciaccia simply stabbed his predominantly minority constituents in Mount Royal that also included parts of Snowdon right in the back à la Benedict Arnold and Dathan, a Hebrew who turned on his own enslaved brethren to win favour with Pharaoh Ramses of Egypt.
You can't hold a few MNAs responsible to bring down Bill 101 when the Quebec majority was mostly in favour of it. Name anybody else that sacrificed their political career over anything like this besides French, Marx and Lincoln.
It would take civil demonstrations and other forms of political activism to draw the attention of those who are the oppressors, coupled with the media, especially outside Quebec. The Americans are the best ones to bring in after the fury that ensued after the 60 Minutes article back in 1998.
I actually found the Toronto Star article going back to Feb 10, 1998 and scanned it to the Editor of this blog, but for some reason he hasn't published it yet. There was a frenzy on a local radio show the day after the airing that I have written about many, many times previously on this blog.
Can you at least offer a solution or some alternatives to encourage us to fight for our rights? Would you participate? Pointing out lost recollections and inaccuracies is not the solution!
Mr. Sauga asks me:
Delete"Can you at least offer a solution or some alternatives to encourage us to fight for our rights?"
I've been doing for the past 20 or so years, Mr. Sauga, even when I've lived outside the country. That's what my book is about: a very specific solution.
I've written a myriad of articles in that time, published in numerous places on the subject.
Yes, I would participate...and currently do.
As for pointing out inaccuracies, please don't take offense; I just thought I'd correct the record, that's all.
I'd like to chime in on another reason this is a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not because I don't support your ultimate goal-- don't get me wrong.
The problem with Anglo politics is that it operates on an identity politics basis AND...
There is effectively no Anglo-QUEBECKER culture in Quebec.
When I say Anglo-QUEBECKER, I don't just mean English culture that is produced in Quebec.
There's lots of that.
I mean a culture that has a strong sense of being Québécois (for lack of a better term).
Yes I know that there`s the odd act, the odd comedian, the odd thing that really speaks to being an Anglo-Quebecker.
But in general, Anglos don't reflect a strong sense of connection to their province in their own language.
Forgive me as I re-hash some old phrases from 1970s Canadian cultural angst but: what does it mean to be an Anglo-Quebecker?
It has to be more than just being a proud Canadian. I realize that the vast majority of Anglo-Quebeckers are proud Canadians but... Canadianness is rooted in geography and experience. An Albertan is not a Torontonian is not a Newfoundlander.
I suspect there are some cultural studies gurus who've done all this academic work, but I suspect that's all that it is...academic.
So what the heck does this have to do with politics?
In Quebec, politics does not move without culture.
Anglos are no different than other Quebeckers.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.
Working on elections before you work on these very basic existential questions is short-sighted.
I'm not saying that the political stuff should not be attempted (although I don't think EQ would be the best avenue for it.) I'm saying that nothing will get done without good culture-- both in terms of cultural production and cultural values.
The Anglo Guide to Survival in Quebec
DeleteCheck it out.
FROM ED
DeleteSuzanne, I'm not sure what your point is but you have made me think we should find some francos to run for us in our party. They could not call it just an anglo party that way. By the way what's with the double spacing taking up space unnecessarily? Ed
Ed - I'm sure it was always the plan to have as many federalist francophones as possible in our party. We need them and they need us. What we do have to be concerned about are infiltrators because the dippies are good at that. We had an organization after the 1995 referendum and it was infiltrated by dippies and they can do a lot of damage with their conquer and divide mentality. Just a warning to all that they probably give courses on this through IF so some of us should sign up with them to get an idea of their tactics. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
DeleteFROM ED
DeleteCutie, Actually, I wasn't referring to the party. I meant find some Francos to help us get the word out about the PQ. Writing to French media for example. Ed
I hope some are doing that Ed.
DeletePQunt is fascist. Nothing but a crypto Nazi party.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we flock to the PLQ.
Complicated ain‘t nothing but Sam Jackson in Django Unchained.
Ed - we can't forget Bill 14 as that is what Hugo is pushing a demonstration against on the 17 Feb - People have to get out in force if at all possible to show the public and the government we've had enough of these racist bigots. Yes, we have to get our act together before the next provincial election but the demonstration on the 17 Feb is very important. I hope all of you in the area of Sherbrooke St. can make it there and I would love to see a huge turnout!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne - you may be right about the culture but shouldn't the "freedom" aspect be part of any culture? As you pointed out previously, we are fighting for freedom and not anglo rights.
Nous prévoyons la présence maximum de 12 angryphones.
DeleteWe agree with you, Cutie.
DeleteI think we should start calling the seppies the "dippies" for more reasons than one - dip (not a typo as yet but could be) e.g. dik heads and dipping into our money all the time for their own benefit. They love calling us "angryphones" so we should reciprocate - thank you.
DeleteHello Hugo / Cutie,
DeleteIf you want to attack bill 14, you'll have to attack something specific in it. Again, you need to get people onside. No one likes a whiner with no specific justification and who is all over the place. If you're too broad, you'll be ignored and portrayed as an extremist or whiner.
To be honest, I have not read the bill, so i don't know all the details, but if i were to attack it, I'd attack the internet site they want to create to complain against english.
Focus there to show the intolerance and racism of that aspect of the bill. Get people onside with signs that say something to the effect of:
Govt sponsored site to get Quebec "sentinels" to denounce:
- Pedophiles - No
- Drug Dealers - No
- Rapists - No
- Murdereres - No
- Violent acts - No
- Tax Evaders - No
- Govt corruption - No
- ENGLISH - YES
Do you really believe this is not racist ?
Whoever does interviews (should be one person - you don't want some clown representing you) should explain that this is a slippery slope to denouncing englihs people, enlighs accents - it's a clear step towards the open promotion of racism against english.
Explain that englihs people believe Quebec is not a racist society and they believe that if francos were aware of this clearly racist provision, they would not embark on this.
Stay on message, sound nice and conciliatory.
If asked for more "revendications", explain nicely and non-confrontationally how the group that knows the least english is the 0-19 group of francos (20% !) and this is an unfair disadvantage to them in life. Their parents should have the right to choose the language of their children's education - be it french, english, or bilingual schools. It is the french whose culture these laws claim to protect, so leave them the right to choose. You say that you don't believe they would abandon french at all, but they would have the opportunity to learn a new skill and allow them to better communicate with the world and spread QC ideas (QC feels they have a lot to show the world).
Alway add something about new arrivals should still be forced to go to french school (francos have this stamped on their heart, so don't atack it - go bit by bit), but francos who have been in QC for generations should have the right to choose among the schooling opportunities of their children. It is unfair to rob francos of the choice. It is unfair to limit them, in the same way the catholic church limited them prior to the 1960's (a brief reference to a point of historical frustration will help). Francos should have the freedom of choice (their famous liberty).
If asked about enligs leanring french, explain how englihs already have a far higher level of bilingualism than quebecers (38% to 69%, and the only groups that bring that total down are those over age 49, otherwise it would be in the 73-75% range).
Focus on one aspect that all people can agree with - that damn internet site. When asked, say the above - all ideas that are perculating in the franco community, but have no clear voice yet.
You chip away. If you focus on everything, it will not work. The francos believe the law is a "compromise" and "fair". They don't see antyhing wrong with it. You need to point out the glaring faults and focus on them as an example of what is wrong - make the message clear and undeniable.
Otherwise, if you're too broad - it will fail. People will point to the "good" parts and portray your views as whining.
L. Steve: Thank you for the above; all very true and very helpful - I'm sure Hugo is reading all of it and taking it to heart. I hope the crowd on 17 Feb is huge.
DeletePlacards should read things like: No more suppression of quebecers rights and freedoms - no more IF - no more SJBS - no more Bills in the NA inciting hatred and bigotry - francophones, allophones and anglophones want to live in peace and harmony - employment and less taxes - no more money on language police; hospitals can use this money - freedom is choice of quebecers - Bilingualism in Quebec helps the world understand our culture - No more restricted access to education for francophones - Bill 101 dictates freedom of choice -
Don't know if they have a website specifically for Bill 14; perhaps someone else knows?
Do know that IF and SJBS have sites that can be attacked. Hope Hugo responds to the above.
Freedom of choice languagewise? The Supreme Clowns of Canada ruled that sending Francophones and immigrants to Francophone schools is legit. To send anyone and everyone who doesn't have English roots in Quebec or comes from the RoC without English education has no rights to English education in Quebec. The nine clowns have ruled. The clowns also ruled Frenchless signs are illegal.
DeleteFreedom of choice in Quebec? It doesn't exist. Hasn't since July 31, 1974. It's gone! Through! Finished! Kaput! Fuggedaboudit!
What was the old expression? Laws are made to be broken. If this province ever, ever gets back to where it should be, Bill 101 must be repealed.
DeleteI just want to go back on a comment I made on two occasions that were never answered.
ReplyDeleteIn the event that a new equal-rights political party does rise up in 2013, WHAT will be it's orientation?
Right or Left?
Outside of fighting for rights, will this party be game to slash taxes? Or jack them up some more to finance the welfare state?
This is actually very important as it also pertains to the Parti Quebecois, which used to be an assembly of left and right wingers with one goal - sovereignty and that really didn't turn out well, did it?
In the past I've gone on to say that the members of all separatist parties should be held on trial for deliberately trying to sabotage Quebec's socio-economic progression with its Draconian laws.
So then, instead of naming the new entity the Equality Party, why not something like the Prosperity Party, as such a name implies a goal that is only attainable via equal rights.
It would be far better to be a party about freedom and decentralization to offer an alternative to Quebeckers.
DeleteWhat else do we decentralize? Quebec already has control over immigration that they use to bring in people who speak french only and don't give a damn about their other qualifications - f------ wonderful - they have control of our blood services (unnecessary expenses that the Feds used to pay for) now they are looking for control of communication and I'm so totally against that that I can't even discuss the possibilities of where we're headed on that one - no english TV, no newspapers in english only, etc. I can't see many things that I would decentralize to quebec because this will work against the anglophone community in the end. The only thing I can see is fighting for freedom to work in whatever language we please and a choice in education for everyone not what the government dictates. We have to appeal to the francophone community to understand that their own government dictates their lives and it's strictly a ploy to separate and not to preserve their language and culture. Bunch of power, money hungry miscreants that have mismanaged the economy so bad that we will never recover without assistance and understanding from the rest of North America. We have to make them see that these tactics are dramatically hurting the economy of quebec.
DeleteI agree with Resident in that we need a new party name and for sure part of the platform will have to be a reduction in taxes when we start getting this province under control from massive expenses we don't need such as duplicating services that Ottawa provides and crazy language czars, other country ambassadors and talk about using that extra money on health services, for instance. Making access to creating business much easier and ensuring that businesses find it easier, not more difficult, to locate here. More businesses, more jobs, more home sales, more tax base to give us some relief from the massive debt load we carry. These points must be stressed by any party we give our support to.
DeleteRight thinking until we get rid of some of the debt
DeleteR.E. I want to thank you for that Conan O'Brien link you posted, where they poke fun at Quebec, I never laughed so much in my life and I hope you don't mind but I had to share it with a few people I know.
DeleteA sobering reality has hit me however. I will never ever again admit to any American that I am from Quebec!
FROM ED
DeleteAnectote, How could you be in favour of the Conan thing. it was disgusting. laughing in the face of those innocent old people who had no idea what was going on. It was venomous and hate filled. No wonder the seps hate us if we see francophones as objects to make fun of. It filled me with anger. Ed
On the surface it was completely hilarious. I do however feel ashamed by the fact that we have allowed the opportunity for some people to actually be able to make fun of Quebec this way. We were shown what our society has become, to what shallow levels we've succombed to, so with all due respect, we kind of deserved to be ridiculed that harshly, and by a puppet dog.
DeleteWe've allowed intollerance and utter stupidity to occupy a large space of this society and we've never ever even stood up and said THIS IS DAMN WRONG, and pushed back. It is for this reason that I feel completely embarassed by that video. Americans were able to poke fun at us in such a merciless way and we only have ourselves to blame for it. What I am saying may be a tough pill to swallow but then the Truth always is.
@AnecTOTE
DeleteBelieve me, there are quite a few others like that one. I'm trying to find this hilarious video put together by Louis-José Houde in which several Quebec politicians make some pretty embarrassing blunders. I'll be sure to pass it on once I find it.
LJH is too funny... I hope you find it!
DeleteHe's a funny guy, but he's unfortunately the enemy. Houde's actually a pretty hardcore separatist, and also happens to be the spokeperson for that "Ici on commerce en Francais" initiative.
DeleteWorse yet, he was awarded the "patriote de l'annee" by the SSJB.
But I'll still try finding that bit - still funny stuff.
Ack! Impératif Français wishes us a “Happy Francisation” along with “Happy Holidays, all in French”… I just threw up a little in my mouth… What a bunch of racist nutbars!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27wGbQ6MDlk
Dislike, please.
Clockwork Orange anyone?
DeleteDone
Deletecutie est terrifiée à l'idée de manifester physiquement ses "convictions politiques".
DeletePauvre pathétique petite madame,comme un chien peureux qui aboie sans cesse caché sous un meuble.
Good on you, Cutie. Isn't it so weird that some people feel the need to even create such a message?
DeleteC'est pourtant la triste réalité.Elle crache sans cesse sur les Québécois,ici et sur FB mais ne participe à aucune des manifestations que organisée par ses petits amis la plupart du temps anonymes.
DeleteElle représente l'angryphone typique dans toute sa splendeur,c'est pourquoi son cas est si intéressant...Woof! Woof! Woof!
DeleteS.R scheint zu wollen, etwas zu sagen doch immer so dumm... that's what I think, anyway.
DeleteÉvidemment :)
DeleteEr ist so dumm, dass es schon weh tut.
DeleteDu bist so richtig. :)
DeleteTS & R.S. I agree totally, he can't say one intelligent thing and EVERYTHING he says is Stupid.
DeleteBunch of trash by a bunch of racist bigots that have nothing else to do with their time or money!
ReplyDeleteAllez!Crachez votre venin d'angryphone jusqu'à la fin de vos jours.J'espère seulement que vous resterez des nôtres pour la suite des évènements :)
DeleteExactly! Who cares whether you celebrate the holidays in Spanish or Italian or English or Creole or whatever else? This obsession with French has become a sickness for a few insecure people. This message would be unacceptable anyplace else in world and yet it goes unnoticed in Quebec... how did they get a free pass?
Delete"how did they get a free pass?"
Delete350 000 000 vs 6.5 M
There is no "vs".
DeleteThe outrage against IF and SJBS should be humongous but somehow or other it goes unnoticed by the ROC = No wonder they've given up on this sick province. We must publicize the hate that they demonstrate against anglophones and allophones every chance we get.
DeleteWouf!Wouf!Wouf!
DeleteSur ce,je vous laisse...
Bonne année 2013 à tous et bon succès dans vos entreprises,peu importe lesquelles :)
That would be good, Cutie, yet if they've given up on us, as you say, is there really any reason to further publicize the intolerance here?
DeleteHey S.R,
DeleteI reminded you once, and you seem to have forgotten already...
...on election night, THREE members of this blog called you out for a fistfight and you backed down to each one.
If you insist on calling people on this blog cowards, you'd better begin by proving you aren't one yourself.
How can they know about these organizations if no one publishes anything outside of quebec? The Gazette doesn't even seem to give them any backlash. Why are they allowed to get away with what I would consider "hateful messages" about the anglophone and allophone communities? As I stated previously, my brother and sister in law live in B.C. and never hear anything about these hateful bigots. We should be hitting newspapers all over the country with these messages from these organizations. French isn't the live all and end all to most francophones; their standard of living is, I'm sure, the most important thing in their lives yet the separatist governments are robbing them blind all in the name of "culture". Wow - the message should be loud and clear - get rid of them and get this province back on track to a better standard of living and less, much less, tax. And wouldn't it be wonderful if SR never returned to this site? Talk about a great Xmas gift - wherever he's off to, I hope he doesn't return.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteHey Sauga, Thanks for your support. I have always appreciated your wise advice. like Diogenes in his search for an honest man, I know the individual I seek is out there. Two years ago I could have done it myself but lately I am losing words. My vocab has dwindled. Jeanne Dixon said in my horrible scope that like the ram, I will always be banging my head against the wall for some cause or other. So I'll take a lantern and follow Diogenes.
I say to all "Don't overthink" forget the right or left, taxes or culture. That will all fall in line when the majority of members decide what will be.
FOR NOW, get a voice make yourselves heard. What you write here send also to the media. Flood the French and English papers and TV with your thoughts. Make people aware that something is happening. Remember, we are allin the same boat and for now it is
The more I read this week`s thread, esp. in the last few minutes, the more I accept what somebody wrote early in the thread this past Monday (Xmas Eve): Perhaps we should forget a party altogether and focus on social activism.
DeleteMy agenda is different from those still residing in Quebec. Firstly, I'm a loyal Ontarian now, and I look at what`s good for Ontario as opposed to what`s good for Quebec. Unfortunately, the Ontario Liberal Party has proven to be lousy administrators what with running up over $40 billion in debt just over the last two years and expensive f--k-ups like emergency helicopters and a health registry that has cost over $1 billion. Ontario, for the first time, took back some equalization payments, but just a few hundred million dollars as opposed to Quebec's $10 billion or so. To me, all Ontario got was really a dividend because Ontario, is still the largest net contributor to equalization. I'm fine with Quebec getting benefit what it puts into the federal tax system, but no more, no less.
Secondly, I don't see a successful Quebec party much beyond how Equality performed back in 1989. Maybe it will go from four to six or seven members, but no more. The Francophones, even if they are accommodated properly (as they actually were in 1989), will perceive this party as only for the minorities, and all the opposing parties will do their damnedest to drive that fact or fiction home to the «pur lainers», and I think they would succeed very easily; furthermore, it will be strictly a regional party, i.e., the Greater Montreal Area.
Mario Dumont attempted that right-of-center political philosophy with one hurrah, and that's all, just like Equality.
No, I think we should go back to social activism, much like the Carré Rouge. A party is too much to planning with too little reward; alternatively, if the activism is successful, maybe then we could look at a party, so this should be a step-by-step process.
Tony Kondaks on the 26th, 5:27PM: On the one hand, I can easily see the feds not thinking about the Anglophones, but the feds have a aingle trump card that would have a separated Quebec at their mercy: NAFTA.
ReplyDeleteCanada is a member of NAFTA; a separated Quebec is not, and since unanimity on the part of all NAFTA members is required for admission to NAFTA, Canada can say no to everything and Quebec is left out of NAFTA.
Now, that`s not to say negotiations with the separatists can`t take place, but most of them are motivated to eliminate English as much as they can, and enough of them have a visceral hatred of everything English including the lumping of everybody who isn't of their own ilk. You think you could negotiate with this pack of fascists after an ongoing half century of their putting "us in our place", take your best shot. While surprises are always possible, I'd suggest you prepare for even more disappointments.
Whenever asked about NAFTA Mr. Sauga, the dippies always say "no problem - when we're a country they'll deal with us; we're sure of that" BS and their followers believe them - if they ever separate they'll find that the anglo community in the rest of NA will be so pissed off with them they'll be lucky if anyone buys anything that they produce or want to trade for at least 100 years and they'll be on their knees the whole to get anything going. They think they have problems now - just wait until they ruin a great country and think there will be no penalties for their actions. Silly people better give their heads a shake thinking they can create all this hate and everyone will pat them on the head.
DeleteNAFTA is not a big deal. NAFTA unlike the Free Trade Deal with the United States was not a benefit for Canada. It benefited MEXICO more then anyone else. What would hurt Quebec is if Northern Quebec is declared Canadian territory along with any other parts of Quebec the vote to stay in Quebec. Since Quebec would probably not take its share of the Canadian debt in event of any sovereignty/independence declaration, the parts of Quebec that decide to stay in Canada would be off the hook for their share of the Quebec debt.
DeleteFree Trade with unlike countries usually shaft the working and middle classes in the developed country and long term economic growth of the developing countries. Furthermore if the United States followed free trade principles instead of Hamiltonian protectionism during its birth, it would not be the economic power it is. Japan and South Korea ignored free trade and joined the developed world as well.
Google Ha Joon Chang.
French court rejects 75 percent millionaires' tax:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/us-france-tax-idUSBRE8BS05M20121229
Perhaps there's hope for Quebec after all.
I still can't believe the Euro has fallen to $0.75 - why couldn't it have happened
while I was vagabonding through Europe?:-(
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteWe've only just started on this thread and already 15 out of 46 comments are about or by S.R.
One third of our time and space goes into pleasing separatists. When are you guys going to realize that is exactly what they want. S.R.is several people whose job is to destroy anything English and keep Anglos from organizing. Just the same way communism is against the Church. There are at least three people which should be obvioust to everyone because no matter what hour of night or day you post he is there to answer. No one man could do this. They are on shifts. I feel he should be shut out completely but it is up to editor. In the meantime Evil and Cutie if you stop answering him he will go away or the Editor could delete his comments. The editor cannot cut out his posts if we are discussing with him. Ed
I did not answer him Ed.
ReplyDeleteHey Ed,
ReplyDeleteI've ignored S.R for a long time and I'm a hypocrite for telling Cutie to ignore him, but here's the thing - he's been three times more ignorant than before lately.
I think we can all agree that he is sorely lacking in intellectual clout (which a very nice way of putting things), but lately, especially with him calling posters here cowards and flakes, I want action.
In all my years Ed, I've never met a separatist who isn't a sniveling coward who'll go for the low-blow any chance they get. What I'm saying is this...
...I'll follow my own (past) example and the advice I previously dispensed to other members, and ignore S.R...
...But there's one last thing - and it pertains to a post in this thread.
S.R, I've now mentioned it several times...you got called out three times on election night and turkeyed-out, yet you call those on this blog cowards.
So, since he's saying that anyone opposing the seppie movement on this blog is a keyboard warrior, I want him to step up to my challenge. S.R, we all know you're a 25-cent troll at best, but why not humor us and take me on in a fight?
You've backed out on three other invites from other members...here's your chance to get in league with your venerable colleagues of "patriote past" (they're real heroes btw, they didn't just talk, they made the walk).
So S.R, I will go back to ignoring your slave-mentality comments, but just know this - After you once again back out of another invitation to come and show us what you have, your clout just drops ever further below zero.
Just thought I'd give you a chance, but even then, I'm giving you far more credit than you're worth.
With that being said, Ed, he's back on my ignore list, because I already know what his retort will be.
R. Evil: I think Ed and the rest of the readers, save S.R. and those of his ilk, feel your pain. Unfortunately, and at the same time fortunately, this is a very safe means to say what you wish, no matter how vulgar or eloquent or everything in between it is.
DeleteMore often than not, I don't read what S.R. and other trolls write altogether, and no matter what any of this ilk have written, I ignore them. I got tired of doughnut cracks, but it's obvious that those who repeat the same insults on an ongoing basis don't have I.Q.S half their shoe size, so simply live and let live. Nobody is going to identify themselves, they won't meet to engage in fisticuffs, and besides, fisticuffs is against the law save in self-defense, and extremely immature. Evil, I like to think you're far above that.
Actually Mr. Sauga, I should bring up something positive instead of focusing on "It" as Troy calls him, so here's some good news I'm very happy to share with all of you.
DeleteI've been dabbling in a small online business for the past few months and with the Christmas season performing the way it did, I'm very excited to announce that if things keep up like they have, I'll be able to quit my job in about 5 or 6 months and live off this project full-time.
Well, congrats on your business success. I suggest you place your energy and focus on that and see how it goes from there. Move your business to Cornwall, Alexandria or somewhere just over the border to Ontario and cut your taxes. If you incorporate and stay in Quebec, you have to file your corporate tax returns in French. We'll welcome your commercial success (and lower tax rates) here in Ontario.
DeleteWay to go Resident - I hope it works out well for you and your family. If SR takes you up on your challenge I hope you take pictures!
DeleteCheers guys (Ed too).
DeleteSauga - way ahead of you. The company's incorporate under a friend's address in Ontario.
Smart man (or woman)! You're using your head wisely.
DeleteSuzanne F.: Are you suggesting that Anglo Quebeckers and other minorities have to manufacture a culture? Why? Because of our North American milieu, I think we have adopted the culture English speakers possess influenced heavily by the media, but also partially by our environs. Our cinemas, theaters, clubs and restaurants were unique compared to other North American cities, and so we did have a culture within Quebec.
ReplyDeleteOur delis, câsse-croutes and even our dépanneurs and small independent grocery stores (that, unlike elsewhere in Canada, sold beer) and night clubs were much different from the rest of North America. Quebec had sugar shacks (cabannes a sucre), spruce beer, and other activities in which we had partaken before the rest of North Americans did. Snow mobiling started in Quebec, and the first time I saw the term "poutine" was about a year or so after I left Montreal (circa 1985). I didn't see that term in Toronto for a few years. Then again, I first had Buffalo wings in Toronto before they came down the 401 into Montreal. That made sense as Buffalo was to Toronto what Plattsburgh was to Montreal, less the beach.
It was only last year that I found a bagel place in Toronto that made bagel runs to Montreal no longer necessary (The Bagel House, several locations in the GTA, started by an ex-St. Viateur employee. I've only found one really good deli in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill (Center St. Deli, started by the daughter of the founders of the Snowdon Deli).
So there you have it. It looks as if the exodus of Quebec Anglos took Quebec culture beyond the Ottawa River and west of Cornwall. How about that, readers?
Of course Mr. Sauga, that's why there is not that much difference in the English and French cultures. We have lived together side by side for at least 150 years so we are bound to adapt to each others' culture in food, movies, religion, holidays, perhaps not music so much, but in most things. I, unlike the dippies, enjoy learning of other cultures and trying their food for instance and learning of their holidays and what they're about. Too bad they wouldn't try to understand the other cultures more and concentrate only on language. Their loss.
Delete@cutie003
Deletewhat's your source about separatists not enjoying different foods and not wanting to learn about other people's holidays?
i think this is total bullshit, but i'm still giving you a chance to prove that stuff.
Separatists (pur laine) are not at all interested in other languages or cultures (different foods and holidays are part of people's culture) - their whole platform reeks of isolation, racism and intolerant attitude toward others. Good grief kid, where have you been or, more accurately, where do you live? It's sure not in quebec if you don't know this stuff.
Deleteseems your source is the "separatist platform". can you quote it please? i'm not sure where the reeks are.
Deletewhere i live is irrelevant.
I responded to your comment earlier but for some reason, it was never posted. All the Bills put forward by the separatists, Bill 101 is racist, and anything pertaining to that bill is also racist. Bill 14 just makes it worse. And where you live is relevant.
Delete"All the Bills put forward by the separatists..."
Delete"All" ? even the one about integrity?obviously not.
you shouldn't abuse of superlatives like that. such arguments are just too easy to refute, since one needs only one counter exemple to kill them.
so again, can you quote the "racist" part of bill 101 please? it's the third time i ask.
"And where you live is relevant."
why?
He'll get a bitch-slap from me alright - but it has to be physical.
ReplyDeleteSee, S.R's not just a troll - he embodies the entire mass-movement of separatist plebes who are getting played by policy makers so they can reap the benefits.
I will go back to ignoring the little troll, but first, I do want to make one last-ditch attempt to lure him into a one-on-one fight.
That's the ultimatum - either he stands up and shows us he's worth something-anything-or he acknowledges that he's the very keyboard-warrior he accused other members of this blog of being.
S.R, I don't know where you crawled to, but just tell yourself this - starting the new year off by having Resident Evil setting you straight really is one of the best things you can opt for as far as new year's resolutions go.
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteDid anybody read my post above. S.R. is not a person. My rheumatois Arthritis makes me sleep in short shifts. I am up all hours of the night and day. No matter what time of night or day I go on line S.R. is there. That is not phuysically possible for one human being. Knowing how separatisis work it's only natural they want to destroy the blog as much as possible. I seriously believe that S.R. is set up to do that. Maybe I"m
nuts but I think I'm not far off. Ed
dude you're hallucinating. one day he's every separatist in the world and the next day he doesn't exist. give me a break please.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteANECTOTE, The EDITOR can not delete his posts as long as we are answering him. The fact that he is able to draw out your anger should tell you that he is smarter than you and perhaps you should quit while you're ahead. Your "If you don't like it" attitude
tells us you have more anger at this ghost than you have respect for the rest of us. Ed
I’m afraid I must respond to you Ed. With all due respect, please understand that I was brought up to confront bullies in any form. If I do not, I disrespect myself. If you feel it disrespects you, then that is your issue. This entire problem, the loss of our Rights and Freedoms in this province over decades now, has come about precisely because we, the citizens of this province, have ignored the bullies, the political bullies who have gone to power and systematically stripped us, little by little of what rightfully belongs to us. We can’t afford to lie over and play dead anymore. I have always navigated effortlessly in this province when it came to language, for years. As a minority, I have always been mindful and respectful. It has never been a language issue for me, but the moment someone interfered in a private conversation that I was having with my kid, in our private space, imposingly TELLING me to speak in a different language then I was speaking, it was like breaking and entering to me. At that moment, it became about my Rights, my Freedoms. This is now a completely different animal it is totally unaccetable. How can this happen in North America, and solicit no outrage? This is Canada, but it can easily become Syria. I think EVERYBODY, Anglos, Allophones and Francophone’s are growing tired with this stupid silly nonsense taken to the extreme by a bunch of self-serving elitist who just don’t know when to stop and call it quits.
DeleteAlso and lastly, please, and again I say this with the utmost respect, you need to stop speaking for Editor. He is a grown boy and can speak for himself. Speaking for him, disrespects him, and that is rather patronizing if you ask me. Thank you.
FROM ED
DeleteAlright Anectote, Let's get this straight. I am not speaking for Editor, I'm speaking for myself. When the rest of us do our best to get rid of the trolls and you tell us you're going to ignore our efforts and do what you want and if we don't like it don't read your posts. That's not good enough. You needlessly waste space that is meant for all of us. If you want to go your own way get your own site. This business of giving an unknown unseen entity a bitch slap is comic book stuff.
For God's sake stop being selfish and grow up. Ed
Interestingly, the CBC recently broadcast a radio show episode of “Spark” that included a segment regarding a scientific study on the “Effects of anonymity, invisibility, and lack of eye-contact on toxic online disinhibition”.
Delete@ Ed
DeleteYou’re fast becoming a bully yourself, this blog does not belong to you, nor are you the author of it, so stop telling people what to do. This will be my last post to you on this subject and I suggest you do likewise. Suddenly you’re becoming more irritating than S.R. What is ironic here is that your insistence on not giving that creep any attention has resulting in you giving him the maximum attention, with your constant posts to me about him, something to think about perhaps.
Now again, if Editor has a problem with me, let him address me. Please stop speaking for him and stop speaking for this blog, I don’t see anyone else with their knickers in a knot over this; something else to think about.
@ed
Deletei'm new to this blog. are you an editor too? if not, i think you are risking your reputation as a civilized contributor, assuming you have one, of course. again, if you are not an associate editor, i strongly sugget YOU open up your own blog shortly.
Ed = he's trying to suck you in my friend. Ignore him in your own best interest. Happy New Year.
DeleteAlso remember Ed what I told you about infiltrators = they love to divide and conquer, watch yourself my friend. They would love nothing better than to split up our movement which is gaining momentum. Ignore student
Deletestudent is almost as idiotic as S.R.
DeleteJust here to distract and irritate.
Delete@durham
Deleteare you gonna be part of this "inclusive" new political movement durham?
in my opinion you will have to learn new debating techniques before you can really contribute anything positive.
@cutie003
no i'm here to study.
@ student,
DeleteThe movement would be inclusive of everyone except for French language supremacists, Quebec separatists, and annoying fools like yourself.
@durham
Deleteby "annoying fools" you mean people asking questions, i guess? so you are not aiming for democracy then? interesting.
@me
DeleteThanks for the info
I look forward to voting for Equality 2.0 in the next and future elections, IF we are still living in this godforsaken province
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we support a boycott of Quebec in order to hurt the xenophobic Government du Quebec, via the reduction of spending by individuals in Quebec.
We no longer purchase wine, etc. here in QC and we no longer purchase lottery tickets here.
As we travel in the US for 48 hrs+ a minimum of 4 times/yr we can bring back $6,400 in purchases/yr. That is a savings of $992 in sales taxes as we shop in NH where there is 0% sales tax on everything and in MA and RI where there is 0% sales tax on clothing/shoes. Across the board, prices in the US are 14% less so we save on the purchase prices as well.
Toys, clothes and shoes offer a super savings. We purchased a toy for $70 in NH. It was $100 in Montreal PLUS tax. We saved $44.50 on one toy!!!
Last yr we skied at Mont Ste-Anne for 5 days. This yr. we will ski at Jay Peak (VT) for 6 days! Mont Ste-Anne is in Pauline Marois' riding! :o)
It is time for everyone who is fed up with Quebec to boycott it
http://www.causes.com/causes/808959-boycott-quebec-for-its-racism
I've joined the boycott - please do so everyone if you possibly can. Some of you will have no choice but to buy quebec products depending on where you live but for those of us that can go to another province or the US to shop, we should do so until these people feel the hurt in their pocketbook which is the only thing they recognize.
ReplyDeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteI'm probably too thick. Age does that to your head. Could someone tell me how boycott can help our cause. I feel it would hurt the poor people that need jobs more than the PQ. They have madee it clear that they don't care if a company closes down or not. Ed
Sorry Ed but we have to take any action we can to stop this abuse of our rights and freedoms and this is just another way to let the dippies of quebec know that we've had enough of their nonsense. Boycotting things has worked as a political pressure for many causes just as sanctions against other countries are used to put pressure on politicians to change their tactics. I don't see how they have made it clear that it's OK to force closures on companies when they are putting their own population out of work - when have they made it clear that they don't care about unemployment in this province? That would be a stupid statement to make to their followers even if half of them are on the dole. I must admit that I also never hear them talking about getting new business but have never heard that they don't care about the unemployment rate.
ReplyDeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteCutie, They are pressuring seven mega employers who
employ at least a hundred thousand. The OQLF doesn't care if they leave and neither does Marois if they refuse French in any way.
Are we forgetting the 500,000 jobs they already forced out of this province? They don't care about employment. Ed
I don't believe that they don't care Ed - they are out to prove they can walk all over the Feds on any issue concerning language and want it to go all the way to the Supreme Court to prove their point. This is just another test of the Canadian Federation and we'd better hope that the feds and the SC see it for what it is and put a stop to it or those 100,000 will be unemployed. Should this happen, this will cause a huge backlash from those same people over a stupid law that shouldn't exist in the first place. Either way, it is going to cause big trouble in this province. Again, they are pushing the envelope and hoping this will give their cause for separation a boost.
DeleteFROM ED
DeleteActually the better hope that the mega companies see it that way. The Americans might feel they don't want to be bothered going that far for something that's not their fight and simply close up shop. Ed
FROM ED
DeleteA quick question about the boycott. Does the government know it's happening, Does anyone tell them so that it makes a point? Ed
I went to the website and joined up there so I'm not sure if they have been officially notified or not but they will after reading this blog. You can bet they have people monitoring this as well.
DeleteAnd Ed, I don't think the US companies went into this suit without knowing where it's heading. Either way, big problems ahead for the PQ - the amount of money they spend on this type of thing irritates the taxpayer in this province - only the most ardent separatist would find this worthwhile and they are not in the majority.
DeleteEd et al.: Actually, a boycott, I think, is a great idea. Buy alcohol and tobacco outside Quebec. Of course, if you buy in the U.S. or elsewhere abroad, beware of the limits, because if you go over the limits, you have to pay duties and taxes thus defeating the purpose of the exercise.
DeleteBringing alcohol over provincial boundaries also has its problems. Technically, it's illegal to do so; therefore, be sure to put them in your trunk because in most provinces, it has to be inaccessible to the driver by law at all times while the driver is driving. Don't give the police reason to stop you, especially speeding. The chances of being detected are very slim, but many people are not aware of the interprovincial boycott of certain alcoholic beverages, unless authorized by government. Few Quebec alcoholic beverages are available in Ontario and vice versa. Moosehead beer has quite a following for a long time in all the U.S. where it is widely available, but in Canada it could only be obtained in NS and NB. Fortunately this interprovincial protectionism is lifting slowly, but we have less interprovincial free trade than we do with NAFTA countries.
As for the big internationals, the lawsuit against the OQLF is more a nuisance thing than anything else. They're not going to pack up and leave as long as there are profits to be made. Compared to net profits, the legal fees are a drop in the bucket.
I would like to get back to the main subject of starting a new political party with a view to promote respect and prosperity for all Quebecers. I would suggest using the same approach Francois Legault did by starting with a "Manifesto" and then gauging the pollution through some opinion polls. I would suggest we cover the following issues:
ReplyDeleteFederalism: Canada is a great place to live and there are tremendous benefits - both economic and social - to being part of it. No other party in Quebec, even the Liberals, will openly state that they are 100% pro-Canada. This would set us apart and give us a following.
Language: French is the predominant language of Quebec and we have no intention of changing that. However there has been an English-speaking population, strongly concentrated in the Montreal area, that has lived here for several hundred years. This population of 1 million+, which is more than that of Nova Scotia, deserves to be recognized and respected.
Access to English schools: Barring Francophones from sending their kids to an English school is discrimination. Please let adults choose for themselves. Perhaps as a compromise all non-qualifying students can be given a quota of three years in English school to at least give their kids a chance of having some exposure.
Role of the OQLF: The role of the OQLF should be to promote in a constructive fashion the proper and grammatically correct use of French. OQLF inspectors should be consultants to business owners to help them with signs, menus and translating websites. This rather than being a source of harassment and a drain on the limited time business owners have to take care of real issues like customers and employees.
Taxes: Taxes are far too high in Quebec and have made us uncompetitive. There is far too much government spending in Quebec and a completely bloated civil service. There are many duplicate government agencies at the provincial level that should simply be shut down or merged with their federal equivalent. Why have Revenu Quebec when the feds do exactly the same and could pay for it?
Transfer payments: We in Quebec should be embarrassed at the amount to money the federal government transfers to us. We deliberately keep hydro rates low so as not to reduce our federal handouts. If Quebecers truly want to be free, we need to get our act together and create some level of acceptable wealth.
Corporate subsidies: Quebec is the worst offender here. Quebec pays out in subsidies to local companies what it collects in corporate taxes. Wouldn't it be more logical to simply eliminate all subsidies, shut down all the agencies that handle these handouts, and then cut corporate taxes to zero? That in itself would be a incredible incentive for companies to set up shop in Quebec.
Government intervention in the economy via the Caisse de Dépot: The Caisse is a retirement fund, not a personal bank account for some politicians to try to score points. The Caisse needs to remain independent (in my opinion it should be merged with the Canada Pension Plan).
Public Health care: We need a public health care system, but let's introduce a little competition into the system by farming out some of the work to private practices paid for by the public system.
Immigration: Our population is aging and we need newcomers to fill in. However let's please focus on skill sets and potential rather than almost exclusively on language skills. The fact is you need to speak French in order to get a decent job. That alone is an incentive to learn it. And the best place to learn it if you are not a native speaker is at work where you will use it 8 hours a day.
Some of you reading this may say that I am simply regurgitating Francois Legault's part platform. However in our case we would be clear on our position on our views on Federalism, language and the role of the Caisse. And we would not say, "No referendum for 10 years", it would simply be, "No referendum as long as we are in power".
TL:DR. Paragraphs. Bold titles. Thank you.
DeleteMtl 1973-all good points for our movement. Thank you.
DeleteFROM ED
DeleteMTL These are all good points to discuss after we get a movement going. In the meantime send this type of thing to columnists like Don MacPhersonor Peggy Curran for publishing. Onepoint I must correct is when you say the Liberals have never declared themselves one hundred percent Federalists, you're wrong.. Jean Charest and the Liberals led the fight against separation in 1995.
Charest inspired enough Quebecers to vote no and declared the Liberal Party 100 perent Federalist. Today they are our only hope of English freedom. Ed
1973: Most are good, cogent points, but while that learning French comment for career enhancement is good on paper, is it the reality? Quebec hiring practices are affirmative action, and affirmative action is discrimination. Leaving Quebec is the path of least resistance and that is a lot of my raison d'être for leaving.
DeleteThe health care system is so lousy, not only in Quebec, that many of the better health care professionals leave for the U.S. It may be expensive, but the better health care facilities invest in the latest technology and health care professionals train for that, not Quebec's obsolete equipment and ridiculously long waits for necessary surgery. Francophones who can function in English leave for better opportunities.
Overall, Quebec is simply not competitive because of taxes and restrictive labour laws, and reckless spending on business subsidies and other crap that does nothing to stimulate the economy. Quebec lives on entitlements, namely equalization and other federal government goodies. There are resources in the ground. Why not extract them?
Why spend their own money on the resources that we have when the feds keep passing them money hand over fist? They deliberately do not extract these resources hoping for their own country so they don't have to share any proceeds with the ROC. If they attained separation, all of a sudden we would see big "discoveries" being made in quebec and they could keep all the profits for their own crooked "in" crowd. Disgusting, selfish idiots.
Delete@cutie003
Deleteno that's not it.
many (majority?) people in quebec are reluctant to going full blast on mining and pumping gas for four reasons.
first a lot of the stuff in beneath farm lands and towns. having a gas well in your backyard sucks. people understand that and are compassionate with would-be "victims".
second, people in quebec are generally quite ecologically aware. and these projects often represent a clear and present risk that quebec people are not willing to take.
third, people are aware that the "claims" system still in use dates back to klondike times and that companies pay a tax on profit rather than extracted volume. they know an update of the scheme is necessary before anything big gets underway.
and finally the liberal party of quebec has pushed hard for these resources projects, and since they are under inquiry for corruption, everything they promoted is suspicious.
it has nothing to do with selfishness i'm afraid cutie003. sorry.
What a pile of BS - You tell me that quebec is more ecologically conscious than the other provinces? quebecers are special that way - wow - how dumb do you think we are? All the separatist governments in this province are as money hungry as any other provincial government and are not special in any way except they want to suck every cent they can out of the ROC until they are on their own and if you think anything else, you're as dumb as a post. The PQ are just as corrupt as any other party in this place and everyone knows it.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteCutie, If we wantaction here's a good place to start. Let's ask everyone here to send an email to a government agency/person or amedia outlet and publish a copy here for all to see. To help each other get ideas of how to go about it. Ed
FROM ED BROWN
ReplyDeleteEDITOR
I seem to have a problem with posts disappearing when I post after someone else who I am also trying to answer. I replied to your post asking me how Christmas services went. I said It went well, I played for three hours and not a shot was fired, or maybe they missed. Thanks for the wish. Ed
Rge second post was to REDIDENT EVIL to congratulate him on looking forward to a new life style.
Theuy disappeared and I now they were not deleted because it would say so. Posts at the end of the thread seem to be alright. Ed
Ed - I am glad to publish anything I send to the media, feds or provincial authorities but please do not give out your personal info as you did above. I am worried that this could bring about retaliation from some of those dippies out there that monitor this site.
ReplyDeleteLike this morning, there is an article in the Montreal Gazette that suggests that changes begin with you. Why don't all of you send a letter to the Gazette with suggestions on how to get Montreal back on the right path? First of all suggestions as to who should be the next mayor. Duceppe, Harel, both dippies - I would bring that up as a point that you don't want any more dippies in charge of anything! They have ruined the economy of quebec and now want to further ruin Montreal. Stress the multi-culture aspect of Montreal and the fact that you want it to be a real part of Canada not of a separate quebec. I'm sure a lot of the letters would be published. If I lived there, that's what I would do. I asked the Editor if it was OK to send a letter to the Gazette on behalf of this site and ask for their support in our efforts but never received a response from him so I have not sent the letter.
ReplyDelete"They have ruined the economy of quebec..."
Deleteer...no. you are confused i believe. the gang that has tried to ruin quebec's economy is the liberal party of quebec. now that you know, do you wish to re-write your comment?
You may be a student young man but this whole mess is because of the separatists in this province and their ethnic cleansing of the anglophone community along with their money, wasteful spending habits on things like language police, double dipping out of public money, driving business away with their stupid language laws (including large US investors), and spending money on court cases that should never, ever be happening. I admit the liberals didn't do much to improve the economy when they were in power, but at least the economy didn't stagnate as it is doing now. So now that you know, do you wish to re-write your comment? Until the threats of separation cease from this province and the government learns to get along with the rest of the provinces instead of fighting them at every turn, the economy is going to go down the tubes until we're bankrupt.
DeleteAnd if you were one of those students out in the street banging pots this past summer, you are part of one of the biggest problems in this province - everybody wanting something for nothing. Our taxes are the highest in North America caused by the socialists in this place that don't want to work for a living and want free education among other things. These outrageous tax rates sure don't induce people to move here along with their crazy language laws. Ask your mom and dad how they feel about how much tax they pay and I have already paid to educate my children so I'm damned if I feel like paying to educate someone else's kids, thank you. You all need to shake your heads and grow up before you are part of the bankruptcy that is coming quickly.
Delete"but at least the economy didn't stagnate as it is doing now."
Deleteah? i did not see any number that confirms that yet, can you share your data please?
"do you wish to re-write your comment?"
not yet. not until you prove that quebec was thriving under liberals and stagnating now.
"Until the threats of separation cease..."
i don't think it will ever cease. after all longing for freedom is quite a natural thing. it will cease if french canadians become a demographic minority. i don't think you should wish for that, and if you do, you become the "ethnic cleanser"....
"And if you were one of those students out in the street banging pots..."
wow you assume a lot of things based on a flimsy nickname. it's like if I would assume you're cute. how absurd would that be?!?
Letter I sent to the Ottawa Citizen but unfortunately was not published. Just a sample.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Gatineau, I see the disappearance of the English language daily in restaurants, grocery stores, flyers, etc. I have lived here for 60 years and never has it been so apparent that the separatists are out to destroy every sign of English in Quebec. They don't give a whit about our rights and freedoms and with the continuous onslaught of organizations like SJBS and IF, they deliberately set out to make our lives as uncomfortable as possible. We have a few organizations like the Quebec Office of the English Language and the Regional Association of West Quebecers, but they are limited in what they can do because of Bills like 101 and now Bill 14, should it pass in the National Assembly. None of our provincial nor federal governments are doing one thing to stop these language bigots in their pursuit of revenge against the anglophone and allophone communities that reside here.
One has to wonder when the federal government steps in and puts a stop to the abuse of the rights of Canadian citizens (and obviously there are many of us) that want to live in peace and harmony with our francophone neighbours rather than pitting us against one another on a daily basis to gain separatist votes. Either we are all Canadian, living under one constitution, or we're not. We are not speaking Chinese in Quebec, we speak one of the official languages of Canada which is English and these language bigots should not be allowed to run rough-shod over our rights and freedoms with provincial legislation at their whim. These bigots are forcing the anglophone and allophone community out of their homes and businesses without a second thought and they must be stopped. It is perhaps time for the federal government to step in and demand that referendums are held under Clarity Act Rules and areas that vote to start a new country be allowed to leave Canada and the rest of us create a new bilingual province or join N.B. or Ontario. Action has to be taken to stop these separatists from ruining the whole country. We need assistance from the federal government and are counting on them to take action.
FROM ED
DeleteCUTIE, I meant to take out the address and phone but it was late and being tired I wasn't thinking properly. I wanted to sleep but someone needing help came and we talked for two hours. I finally crashed after 2am which accounts for the typos in my 2am note to EDITOR.
Perhaps EDITOR will delete it for me and I can republish. You could try your letter with the Gazette,
they are looking for material now with their new campaign about Montreal. Ed
I firmly believe the Feds are do not care about Anglos or Allos in Quebec. The only thing they really care is to keep the province within Canada - at any cost. Because separation will ruin Canada's economy for a decade or so. To that end, they abandoned Anglos and Allos here after the second referendum - the vote base is too small comparatively with the French. Same thing for the provincial Liberals. Federalism matters so much that any price is worth it as long as we are the ones paying it. That is why they close eyes to discrimination and xenophobia here.
DeleteYou're probably right but we have to fight back as best we can and show these people for what they really are before they take us back to the stone age with their zeal for separation.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteI had an answer from Peter Penashue the Prime Minister's office boy. Basically saying thenks for sharing your views with me. The following is my answer to him.
In reply to your letter of November 27th 2012.
Try to understand that I was not just sharing my views. We, in Quebec are asking our Government to act.
You might pass on to the Prime Minister that Anglophones in Quebec are beginning to act on their own. When they do it will be embarrassing for him to explain to North American news media why he does not protect the freedom of Canadian Citizens.
Canadian laws give Provincial Governments the right to promote their language, it does not give the right to deny others the same, as the Party Quebecois does to English Citizens in Quebec.
We have been in contact with news media from coast to coast and they are all willing to do shows on the lack of freedom in Canada.
We feel it is only fair to advise Prime Minister Harper of the action we feel we must take. Hundreds of complaints to news media about the lack of democracy here will not be ignored. CNN has asked for more information and they will get it.
We do not enjoy having to reach outside our Country for help but the Prime Minister's silence has created a vaccuum which must be filled. This is a necessity in order to live a life that is ours by right.
Edward Brown
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteEDITOR Thanks for the delete. I almost made the same mistake above. I will try to control my zeal better.
CUTIE, I tried to publish Penashues answer from Penashue but something in their email won't let me copy it. Antway basically all he said was we stand up for rights of all citizens and thanks for sharing your views. So now I'm sharing some more. I'll let you know if he answers. Ed
Me too and couldn't copy. Didn't say much anyway, they're really concerned about national unity, etc but no commitment to anything. What do we expect from politicians - they'll all the same, looking to getting elected and not much of anything else. Pisses me off.
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteI have contacted CKUT McGill radio about the possibility of a weekly half hour show reaching anglos and francos to calm their fears of each other and of each others language. I dida show for them back in the 70's called 'Voice of the Poor' It generated several food banks.I passed it on to a guy who went and died on them and so did the show. Ed
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteCopy of letter to the Gazette.
I sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada asking him to act for English language rights here in Quebec.
I suggest that all those concerned do the same before they pass Bill 14.
Canadian law gives provinces the right to choose their language. It does not give the right to deny other languages as the Parti Quebecois is doing.
We must stand up for our rights or deserve to lose them.
Ed Brown
Any letters to the Gazette must have name address
and phone number. Do not ramble, it has to be about one particular subject. Try it. It's easy and valuable to our cause.
The Gazette does not publish more than your name. Ed
What is the level of likelihood of your letter being published? I hope it reaches the effect you intend it to, Mr Brown. How is Verdun these days? When my mum was a girl it was an English town. Is it pretty much all French Canadians these days? Things can sure change fast in a relatively short period of time.
DeleteActually "student' I'm only rated "T" for teen, but still what the hell is this?
ReplyDeleteWe get rid of one degenerate troll and then another one takes it's place?
Am I the only one raising an eyebrow here?
He sounds to me like a very young, very naive, little boy that probably doesn't reside in quebec. Not sure if he is a troll but if he keeps posting, we will soon find out. Been nice without the stupid remarks of our last troll so let's keep our fingers crossed that it's just a kid with nothing else to do today.
ReplyDelete@resident evil
ReplyDeleteok, i'll ask in an alternate way. why do you think it is useful to physically threaten people on the internet?
@cutie003
try not to lose your focus. we were discussing resident evil's violent comments. what do you think about that?
You are new to this blog and have no business commenting about resident evil and anything he may say. What he says or does not say does not concern me in the least but our other troll is irritating enough to warrant threats from a lot of us. Rather than waste everyone's time, I'm going to dismiss you as just another troll unless you prove otherwise with relevant comments.
ReplyDeleteTo all my federalist friends and to the Editor = I wish you all the very best in the New Year and I hope we can come to some kind of resolution to rid ourselves of these racists and that would be the best new year of all!
ReplyDeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteTo Student, Don't be afraid to speak your mind. I am a follower of the Liberals but willing to listen to your opinion. Ed
my opinion on what?
Delete@cutie003
ReplyDeletethe first phrase of your last comment is a total contradiction.
then you carry on by confirming that resident evil's violent threats are legitimate. this should be scary for people who are tempted to join your new political party or movement.
then you insult me with a "troll" line that is totally out of place. words lose their power when you abuse them you know?
FROM ED BROWN
ReplyDeleteEDM It's pretty good. I've had a lot of letters published in the Gazette. Probably around twenty this year. It depends on the volume they get and how important they feel your subject to be.
Verdun is a great place to live. Still mostly bedroom community with great parks. It's safe to be on the street at any time of night. An old person's dream. Ed
Student, which party do you like best? Do you feel that another new party is a good idea? Would you care to tell us what you're studying?
Welcome aboard. Ed
Listen you little boy (I think) there will be violence in this province if the separatists don't cease and desist from provoking us any further - you got it? We have done nothing, do you hear it, nothing to deserve the piss poor treatment we get from our government(s), including the liberals who are supposed to be supporting us as federalists. Ed seems to be interested in what you have to say but I don't because you haven't been here long enough to deserve my interest
ReplyDeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeletehaving read all his posts It is obvious Student is a troll probably working with the S.R. group. I will ignore him and suggest we all do the same. Ed
"Student is a troll"
Delete"I will ignore him..."
and you are working on creating a new political party? and you pretend it would be "inclusive"?
that represents a lot of work you know?
you need to have a plan, and go step by step.
and the first item on the to do list should be to sort out your contradictions ed.
"there will be violence in this province"
ReplyDeleteyou're right. there was bain on election night and now there's resident evil threatening... these people should behave.
"piss poor treatment"
you mean not being allowed to put up unilingual english posters on your shop's window, right?
Cutie, don't waste your time with this one.
ReplyDeleteThis idiot hasn't contributed ONE positive comment or idea yet. He's deliberately going out of his way to piss people off.
Personally, I refuse to answer anyone who insists on writing everything in small caps.
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteIt's now obvious to me that what we've known as S.R. was a plot all along. They now call themselves 'student'. Fortunately their ineptitude gives them away. Student (read stupid) writes English different from the others.
They almost had me fooled until I read all stupid's posts. Cutie, stupid is attacking you because you expose
separatism for what it is. Your posts are so right on it angers them. You tell the truths that they want hidden from French and English alike. They are a group that work underground like the poisonous 'Fer De Lance' found only in France. They are attacking me because I urge contributors to ignore them. From now on I will refer to them only as the stupids and not answer the insults even though they give me a good laugh. Ed
can you quote where i "insulted" you ed?
Deletejust so we're on the same wavelenght, for me an insult is a form of speech deliberately intended to be rude. here are examples taken from your last comment:
"Student (read stupid) writes English..."
"...until I read all stupid's posts."
"Cutie, stupid is attacking you..."
"...I will refer to them only as the stupids..."
so, when did I scold such crap ed? hint: never.
about your paranoid nightmare, ed, you know the undergroud group that is attacking you, don't you think it's quite normal that people come to this blog and ask stuff? I would even think it's healthy. don't you agree?
you seem to be afraid of having to back up your conclusions. i don't see another way to explain why you already started demonizing me, after one day! this is typical of someone who knows he defends a shaky position.
I don't think it's your case at all, i'm just informing you about what you look like.
@student : You clearly are a troll.
DeleteAgreed Resident - Just another SR here to irritate - Will ignore
ReplyDelete"This idiot hasn't contributed..."
ReplyDeleteit amazes me when i see adults, in 2012, using insults thinking it's gonna lead them somewhere better. i was under the impression tht this method has been proven shitty many many times. why do you keep on using it resident evil?
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteWhere did everyone go? Since MTL posted Sunday night there has been only Cutie, EDM and I here. Ed
Ed - people are usually pretty busy on New Years Eve and New Years Day - not to worry - Editor will be back from his vacation and posting a new thread and comments very soon. Hope you had a good day.
ReplyDeleteStudent: "so again, can you quote the "racist" part of bill 101 please? it's the third time i ask."
ReplyDeleteOur distinguished contributor SR has a convenient definition of racism: francophobia=outrageous and despicable racism, anglophobia=not racism at all, what are you talking about. SR will cite francophobic rants from R.Bain and wax indignant about racism directed at francophones, but when someone tries to link anglophobia with racism, SR is the first one to ridicule the accusation, because as he says, "language is not race". I asked him to clear up this contradiction before, but he dodged the challenge. Maybe you can enlighten us as to what you think.
As for 101, racist or not, it is nonetheless an arrogant and toxic piece of legislation. It has an awful cultural influence on QC francophones as it prays on their deep-seated insecurities to build up a strain of white supremacy - in this case reflected in language. 101 normalizes things that should be frowned upon (snitch mentality, surveillance culture) and poisons relations between people.
If 101 is what QC francophones need to survive, then I pity them. And this is coming not from an anglo, but from "an importation".
Prejudiced double standard spewing twits seem to comprise much of the separatist population.
DeleteEn passant adskouille,il y a erreur sur la personne,je ne suis pas "student",ceci-dit la question demeure : Pourquoi autant de francophobes viennent s'installer au Québec ?
DeleteLa francophobie serait-elle reliée au trouble du comportement qu'est le masochisme?
Je ne connais pas beaucoup d'anglophobes qui vont vivre au canada.
FROM ED
DeleteI agree EDM. I have no idea why ADSKI is inviting them to post, but there are anglo trolls as well as francs. What Adski is asking him to contribute would fill at leasr 50 lines, which makes me wonder if ADSKI is one of them. Perhaps he would state which side he is on. Ed
@adski
Deletebill 101 is not about race, hence it can't be racist. cutie003 and co will have to find another word. if a proper word does not exist, they will have to fall back to "language based discrimination", or something like that. less evocative, but more true. serious militants should chose the later.
when you affirm that bill 101 is all bad, you make at least one of the two following assumptions: french language/culture in north america is not threatened and french language/culture in north america is not worth preserving. i disagree with both. hence i think bill 101 has a valid purpose.
if louisiana and acadie had had a similar law, they would probably still be french, and the world would be a better place. not because these places would be french, but because they would still be particular and original.
as far as sr's "contradiction" is concerned, i can only say that bain seems pretty badly francophobic. and "anglophobia" is obviously just as bad. but you don't provide examples, so I can't write much more about it.
"if louisiana and acadie had had a similar law, they would probably still be french, and the world would be a better place. not because these places would be french, but because they would still be particular and original."
DeleteHow interesting then, that you inist on spitting on the country (CANADA) that has allowed you the possibility and the opportunity to retain your language of origin and basically do as you like when it comes to language. In fact, you're forever giving Canada a hard time for spoiling you. I guess Canada deserves it, maybe if it would wear the pants and toughen up a little, the little spoiled child would be set straight and grow the f. up.
Yes AnecTOTE - We have let them push us around for far too long in the belief that we were assisting them to retain their language and culture and look where this has taken us. The more they get the more they want (Bill 14) and now we have to push back as they've become like the male child in the home that finally starts pushing his mother around for being too good to him. The ROC has seen it through transfer payments because they refuse to stand on their own two feet and we have seen it through more and more restrictive language legislation and ethnic cleansing of the allophone and anglophone communities. I hope we democratically partition this place and let those areas that vote to leave go on their way and let the rest of us be a new bilingual province within Canada. Municipal or Federal District referendums with Clarity Act Rules, one last time, and send them on their way with our blessings for a great life and leave us alone.
DeleteStudent: "when you affirm that bill 101 is all bad, you make at least one of the two following assumptions: french language/culture in north america is not threatened and french language/culture in north america is not worth preserving"
DeleteI don't think French language or culture were threatened in NA before 101 was passed, I think its survival was assured through reproduction before the 1970's. The post-Bill 101 society is actually more of a threat to the French language, because the reproduction rates plummeted as secularization and materialism kicked in.
But for the sake of argument, let's assume the following holds true: with 101 - French culture (in NA, let's remember that in thew world French is doing fine, France was after all the second largest pillager of the world alongside Britain), without 101 - French culture in NA dies. Where do I stand if this oversimplified picture is true? I still stand against 101, for economic reseanos. The language laws in QC do serve an economic purpose, and there are some great works that rpoved this point (e.g. William D. Coleman's PhD disseration for Univ. of Chicago in 1984, published as a book under the title: "The Indepependec Movement in Quebec: 1945-1980). Some QC Inc watchdogs have dismissed Coleman's work as "vulgar Marxism that reduced everything to the question of economics", but Coleman does make a convincing case of the quiet revolution being an economic revolution where Montreal's and Quebec City's bourgeois class used nationalism to displaced the competitors (anglos, and the church) and step in as the new "elite", while the regular Quebecois Joe (Jacques) saw little difference in his life. Coleman's theseis is even supported by some QC nationalsits themselves who like to myssify 101 by cloaking it in the platitiudes about saving culture anf languages, but occasinally making a slip about the "upper floors" and "shop floors", and how (city-dwelling) francophones were able to make the transition upwards with the state on their side.
You can say to that: what is wrong with that? Doesn't every ethnicity has a right to assert an economic standing? I would say: first of all, true, but it';s sad that groups of people do it at the expense of others. Second, if you have the right to assert your economic standing, so do I. I my case, that assertion would involve, amongst other things, the removal of the roadblock (bill 101). In your case, it would involve protection of 101. Which is fine. What's not fine is you trying to obscure this fact by reductionism of 101 to cultural issues, by drawing attention from the economic side, which makes it easy for you to place an economic struggle for equality with cultural insensitivity (towards the francophones).
The point about economy has been made about many scholars of (linguistic and ethnic) nationalism. The (late) British historian (of international fame) Eric Hobsbawm made this point in his "Nations and Nationalism since 1780". P.117/118, quote:
Delete"I do not wish to reduce linguistic nationalism to a question of jobs, as vulgar materialist-liberals used to reduce the question of war to the profits of armaments firms. Nevertheless it cannot be fully understood unless we see the vernacular language as, among other things, a vested interest of the lesser examination-passing classes. Each step giving the vernacular language greater official standing, especially as a teaching language, multiplied the number of men and women who could have a share in this vested interest. Hence the crucial moment in the creation of language as a potential asset is not its admission as a medium of primary education but its admission as a medium of secondary education, such as was achieved in Flanders and Finland in the 1n the 1880s. For it is this which, as the Finnish nationalists were clearly aware, linked social mobility to the vernacular, and in turn to linguistic nationalism. It was in Antwerp and Ghent that a new secular minded generation, educated in Flemish in public secondary schools, produced many of the individuals and groups who formed and sustained the new Flamingant ideology. One might have expected the Flemings, like the Quebecois, with demography in their favor, to look to the future with confidence. In this respect they were more favored than the speakers of more rural idioms like Irish, Breton, Basque, Romansch, Frisian or Welsh which left to themselves, did not look like effective competitors in a purely Darwinian interlingual struggle for existence. Flemish and Canadian French were in no sense threatened as languages. What was under threat was not their language but the status and social position of the Flamingant or Quebecois middle strata. Only political protection could raise these." End quote.
So Student, by reducing the issue to culture and language, and playing the "insensitivity to francophones" guilt card , what you really want us to do is not to criticism a system whose primary role is essentially economic, and which works to your advantage and our disadvantage. Nice try, Student, but it won't fly.
Lisez moins adski et établissez plutôt des contacts avec votre entourage...Québécoise.Le contact avec la réalité est baucoup plus instructif.
DeleteExcuse some spelling and grammar errors in my two posts above. I had no time to proof read and spell check. But I think I got my point across.
DeleteToi plutôt, on te conseil de lire plus, cela pourra ouvrir ton cerveau…ton esprit…ton âme
Delete@adski, thank you for posting, as always enlightening, insightful and eloquent!
DeleteFROM ED
ReplyDeleteYes EDM, I agree. But there is a joy in having them, when we can sense their frustration as we completely ignore them. Do you agree that we should call them the stupids? There is obviously more than one trying to fill the site with shit. This is why they ask questions that they hope we will answer. It also explains their use of double spacing. Ed
i don't understand how the fact that a few persons ask questions explain the use of double spacing. that's very far fetched ed. can you elaborate?
Deleteadvice: stop insulting and answer the questions. this way you would showcase your maturity instead of your anger.
All of your questions have been asked and answered by others hundreds of times before. Read past posts and threads pertaining thereto so we don't have to repeat ourselves a million more times.
Delete@cutie003
Deletei checked and my question about a possible link between an underground separatist tac team and double spacing was never answered before.
also, if you are gonna start a political movement, you should be ready to answer the same questions many times. that is if you plan to draw any attention to your agenda. i assume it's the case. am i wrong?
Resident Evil?Est-ce que c'est vous?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2eUYpA1h6_Y
If we are honest, we will admit that Bill 101 is a highly restrictive piece of legislative and has provided permission to further restrictive legislation. The so called “protection” of a specific language has now come to hinder everyone’s Rights and Freedoms, EVERYONE’S, in this province. Municipalities will no longer be under the obligation to provide services to citizens in either one of the two official languages of this country. This is wrong.
ReplyDeleteFrancophone’s without eligibility certificates are not allowed to choose to send their kids where ever they want to get an Education. This is wrong. This impedes on their Rights and Freedoms.
There is absolutely nothing that should stand above the Rights and Freedoms of the citizen of a free and democratic country. Last time I checked this is what Canada is suppose to be. We have armed forces in foreign lands fighting against “ethnic cleansing” to defend those very RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS in oppressive and dictatorial societies and why? Because NOTHING STANDS ABOVE THIS IDEAL! But right here, however, right in Canada’s back yard, under its very nose, the same thing is happening, but it chooses to ignore it; how hypocritical, how wrong, how shameful.
This new party we’re going on and on about should really start as a movement. There needs to be an awakening of a consciousness in this regard, and it has to be awakened in everyone. Francophone’s are the first that need to realize this. For decades they have been denied basic Rights and Freedoms, do they not care? We should all acknowledge that this should be a collective fight because this is everyone’s battle. I do think this can unite us all, Francophone’s, Anglophones and Allophones alike. The enemy is out there, pitting us against each other, divide and conquer has never rung more true. We should be working together for our betterment. It’s really too bad that in so many decades, there hasn’t been a stirring of such a realization from anyone.
"For decades they have been denied basic Rights and Freedoms..."
Deletethat will be a hard sell. for decades, actually centuries, french canadians have been denied basic freedoms by the english "elite", not by bill 101.
i don't think you can ignite french indignation by underlining the fact that they can't send their kids to english elementary and high school, or post english only signs on their window. no one will consider this a big deal at all, since, according to my estimate, ninety-nine per cent of them wouldn't consider these actions anyways.
is there another very important right that french canadians lose with bill 101 anectote?
@ student.
DeleteI beg to differ, I have many many Quebecois friends and the ones that do not speak English or speak it very poorly lament all the time that I got to choose and they didn't. One of these, who I have known now for 3 years since you can say we commute together daily, up until this summer, was not aware that I am not Francaphone and one day heard me speak English on my cell, from that day forward, she has insisted on speaking English to me, says she needs the practice, even though I continue to speak to her in French. Our conversations are a little bizarre but they work for us. I think Franophones without eligibility certificates, deep deep down, do give a sh*t that they don't have the freedom of choice when it comes to the language of their children's education. Perhaps they won't openly admit it still, but they certainly do care and it bugs the hell outa them. They know that the lack of that important language may very well hinder them since there is a world beyond Quebec. Anyone with any ambition wants to be a "Contender"! To be able to get out there and compete for their spot in society and to be in a position to take advantage of any and all opportunities near and far. In order to do that, you need some very basic tools. English is a basic tool, and if you are honest, you will admit it is. In time, so will they, so will everyone one else.
It is a complete infridgement of our Rights and Freedoms that not all of us get to choose in the province, get to choose the best future possbile for our children. That argument, stands alone!
Now let me ask you this, given the opportunity, would you go back to being unilingual, French only? Thank you.
Trolls - both SR and student.
ReplyDeleteearlier you complained about having to repeat yourself over and over again, and still you write this kind of useless insulting crap for the tenth time in two days.
Deleteyou now have two options: stop repeating yourself or start answering questions.
Cutie, maybe student is not a troll after all, I think he just wants to understand why we feel the way we do. He addresses this blog in English, for starters, in light of the fact that this is an English blog, he is being respectful and for me that is demonstrating good intentions. I do not think he is just here to piss people off. Rights and Freedsoms is everyone's business, that is the message we need to convey, that is the message that will get everyone ..onside!
ReplyDeleteI would still like to know where he lives and he says it's not relevant but to me it is. Unless he resides in this place, you cannot comprehend what is actually going on here - you really have to live it on a daily basis to understand how hateful these separatists are. That would make a difference to me as to whether or not he is actually a troll.
Deleteif i don't live in quebec i have more objectivity when judging people and events. isn't objectivity a good thing cutie003?
Deleteor maybe i live in quebec.
i think you should consider my paragraphs wherever they are written from.
The above does matter and if you are not living here you're opinion cannot be given objectively.
Delete@cutie003
Delete"...if you are not living here you're opinion cannot be given objectively."
that's crazy. like if the police is the best guy to inquire about the police, ot the church about the church.
i think you don't know what objectivity means. can you share your definition?
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteHas nobody noticed that while student has been posting, S.R. has been conspicuously absent. They are not the same person. Their writing is too different. I say again they are a team working to fill the blog withcrap and deny us saying anything sensible. Student is a lot smarter than SR but I still call them the stupids.
Anyone who can't see what the PQ is doing to us is stupid or pretending like the trolls. Ed
Vous représentez les "résidus" du système politique canadien,en quelque sorte des "sacrifiés" de la fédération.Vous êtes au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment: Les anglos les plus intelligents ont quitté et qui actuellement notre territoire,pour ce qui est des moins doués...Assumez!
DeleteI bet the PQ is wasting the Anglos' taxpaying money to hire those trolls
DeleteI would like to hear more from L. Steve and Suzanne, oh yeah Adski, R.S & Resident Evil, MTL 1973 excellent post above. Cat again, where are you?
ReplyDeleteResident Evil est occuppé à se bagarrer dans les rues avec des inconnus et je suis S.R,pas R.S :)
DeleteJe me réfère à R.S, celui qui affiche en rouge et avec une belle feuille d’érable.. jou jou, donc ne te flattes pas. Je trouve intéressant quand même que Resident Evil te préoccupes de cette façon d'ailleurs. On dirait qu’il te rends mal à l'aise? LOL
DeleteDeux Joujous valent mieux qu'un :)
DeleteJoujouX,hiboux,cailloux...Désolé.
DeleteToujours amoureux de Cutie? On sait jamais, peut-être un jour elle dira "OUI" ! LOLOLOL
DeleteHoly mackerel, our pet troll sure has an outsized ego and a grandiose sense of self-importance! I suppose those are the basic building blocks for becoming an internet troll in the first place.
DeleteWhy, thank you, AnecTOTE. I must say I agree with The Cat’s comments below, however. In addition, as for the people who take the time to write a post informing us that they don’t have time to post now, or informing us of their latest computer hardware upgrade, or correcting their own grammatical mistakes… they bog down the comments section with clutter and make it more difficult to keep one’s mind on what the current topic is.
It’s also a pity that the Editor doesn’t differentiate between eradicating trolling (which is a rite of passage for serious blogs; becoming troll-worthy is a sign of movin’ on up in the blog world) and censoring contrarian, informed points of view (like Louis Préfontaine did to Apparatchik some time ago).
FROM ED
ReplyDeleteEDITOR
Since the trolls; SR, Student and anedote have taken over the site with nonsense, I am going to sitback until we get to the next post.
Cutie, Don't waste your time and don't let anectote'sinsults bother you. He has obviously joined the trolls. Ed
Ed - he has not insulted me - on-going joke between us - he's on our side.
DeleteI think it’s a good idea that certain people “sit back” and refrain from posting, for a while, especially since they’ve managed to completely monopolize this blog for a while now. I just find myself automatically skipping over numerous posts searching for some other more inspirational contributions.
ReplyDelete@ Cutie, I hope you keep posting however.
I concur. The blog comments have indeed become something of an “echo chamber” of late, as Yannick once put it, which defeats the purpose. Some venting is fine but Sauga, Cutie and Ed are basically talking amongst themselves almost alone at this point, while repeating themselves over and over. Also, some people treat the blog comments almost as their own personal chat site, with an excessive number of personal messages that are of no interest to other readers.
DeleteAn unfortunate side effect of our having to constantly ignore this blog’s main troll is that people are also encouraged to ignore other posts as well. For example, I think some of Student’s questions are valid. Judging by the types of mistakes he makes in English, he is likely a francophone who is willing to engage in constructive and respectful debate but no one is answering him.
Another reason why many people choose just read the Editor’s posts without commenting is the flagrant abuse of the comment section that is tolerated under the false pretext of avoiding “censorship”. If moderation were tidied up, I have a strong feeling that more interesting commentary would emerge because as it stands now, some people are simply embarrassed to respond to the strident and/or lowbrow commentary and thus also avoid commenting on the main post altogether.
With the new year upon us, my wish is that the Editor rethink the rules of participation in his expanding blog with a view toward improving quality over quantity.
@ student You should read The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
ReplyDeletehttp://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
And pay particular attention to article 27(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
@adski thanks for the book title ,read it on line during the holy days http://www.skcentral.com/downloads/ebooks/goingpostal.pdf
@cute you should read this, you might change your mind about unions by the way you are aware that your family doctor belongs to one Canadian Medical Association
ok ok fine. here's my opinion. french canadians should not want their kids to attend english elementary and high school, after all french is difficult to master, but they should still have the right to do so.
ReplyDeletebut we're digressing. my point is that anglos shouldn't count on this issue to have french canadians come out in force against bill 101.
oups, that was a reply to white african canadian.
Delete